The Mark of Black
by CaptainRandom
Summary: Nightmares can be a terrible thing and, for Ratchet, they could be a prelude for things to come. Torment, confusion, a new friend and a terrifying new enemy. Warning: Graphic - Post Size Matters.
1. Nightmare

Before I begin, I feel there are few things that must be noted:

1.) The Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet & Clank, but I certainly wish I did

2.) I am not in total agreement with only being only able to use up to two genres when creating a story. I will say that this story is a DRAMA/ANGST, but note that it will also include FRIENDSHIP and ROMANCE.

3.) This story contains Yaoi, **and it looks like will include Hetero themes as well (Perhaps yuri as well, it all depends on what readers want and what I find best furthers the story and character development)**, simple as that. It will become obvious early on in the story. If you do not like things like that, please do not read.

Further notes for previous viewers and new ones:

The first chapter has been edited slightly, because I didn't like some of it after going back and reading it again.

(more will be added if need be)

--

The yellow Lombax began to stir, his head hurting and his left shoulder burning, as he regained consciousness, but he did not open his eyes as they seemed to be resisting any attempt to open them.

"HeheheheHAHAHAHAHA!" the red eyes of the silhouette flashed as the figure hidden in the shadows continued laughing.

" Ratchet, wasn't it? The little Lombax from Veldin who has saved more people and places than one could possible keep track. Not to say people wouldn't care too, it's just you do have quite the track record." The silhouette shifted slightly.

Ratchet was dazed, a bit unaware of his surroundings. He had a hard time trying to open his eyes and when he did, he could barely see anything aside from those red eyes. He tried to move, but when he did he found his arms and legs were locked in place with his arms spread out above his head and his legs spread just as wide.

"Wha… what the hell?" he suddenly began to realize the situation. It was bad enough be stuck like this, but to make things worse… he was naked. "THE HELL?!"

"So how does it feel, my little yellow friend? Unable to move, completely at my mercy, no weapons or gadgets to provide a means to dispatch me. I'm curious to know how you react to this treatment… heheheheHAHAHAH!" The figure revealed his arm from the shadows and in his hand was the RYNOcerator, a key part of Ratchet's arsenal.

Everything went hazy for Ratchet again before he regained his thoughts and suddenly found himself wanting answers.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, WHY AM I LIKE THIS, AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY GUN?!" Ratchet roared at the hidden figure. He was mostly pissed off, but also noticeable worried by his predicament. It certainly didn't help that being naked left him a bit embarrassed, though the embarrassment was simply a natural reaction and paled in comparison to his anger.

"Well, it seems you have a temper… how wonderful. I love it when they are quick to bare their fangs and it's noteworthy that a Lombax has the same general reaction. Of course, I should point out to you that you are in no position to be screaming at me in such a manner. Allow me to show what I can do to prove this fact." The figure held out Ratchet's weapon and, in a flash, it was reduced to dust.

Ratchet was shocked but, in an instant, that shock became an even higher level of fury that he wasted no time to display.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH, I'LL KI-AGHK!" The armor-clad hand of the figure that was now wrapped around his throat, cutting off his scream completely.

The figure had burst forth from the shadows in what seemed like a nanosecond, giving Ratchet no time to react. His face was mere millimeters away from Ratchet's face and it was obvious that Ratchet felt fear now, though he fought to not let the fear completely take over.

The figure was very tall and almost completely covered in black armor. The only part of him not covered was his abdomen which was instead covered in what appeared to be a skin tight body suit that didn't little to hide a rather androgynous figure of what little could be seen. The armor was a bit bulky, which made it likely that he was extremely well built. It was very smooth and covered with many blue lines reminiscent of tribal markings. The helmet he wore was like the armor, smooth and covered with the blue markings. His face was hidden under a faceplate that was smooth and had nothing notable about it other than the eyeholes with his glowing red eyes ever visible behind them.

"As I said, you are in NO position to do anything." The figure loosened his grip only slightly. "I have no intention of killing you, only to make my presence known and… well, to examine you." He released his grip on Ratchet who began to cough as the figure ran his hand across the Lombax's body, examining his muscles.

Again, the scene became hazy for Ratchet as he tried to speak.

"St… stop… get your hands… o-off of me!" Ratchet coughed and struggled against the figure's examination, but his eyes shot open when the figure cupped his balls.

"You have been given a good set. Your genes were kind to you. Your length is good too, sure to attract any mate concerned with such things." He began to examine every inch of Ratchet's genitals. "If you would only try, I'd say you could easily father offspring. It's odd that have not yet done so. You're entire body seems to be well conditioned."

"Let go… of me, you… SICK FUCKER!" Ratchet cried as he began struggle violently against his restraints, but his efforts were quickly thwarted as the figure struck him in the stomach with his fist, leaving Ratchet unable to do much else than try to breath again.

"Quiet… I am merely examining your features. I need you to be still for the rest of the examination." He said that as he finished looking over Ratchet's ears. "Now, unfortunately, you may not appreciate this part."

There was beeping noise and Ratchet's eyes once again shot open as he felt a slick, wet object being shoved up into him.

"AGHHHHHHHHHHH!" WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME!?" He screamed as the object was fully inserted into him and begin prod and poke for a certain area.

"Calm down, I have already finished with the rest of the physical examination and my machines have scans you major organs and now all that is left is to examine your prostate for any irregularities." The figure looked to a reading on the area above Ratchet, which began to beep.

"Ahhh!", Ratchet was caught off guard as his prostate was suddenly massaged and touched causing his member to come to life. He cursed himself, feeling betrayed by his own body.

The object beeped and was promptly removed from Ratchet, which elicited a sigh of relief from him.

"Well dear boy, I'm sorry our first meeting was not on better terms, but for what I have planned it was all necessary and I do hope we will meet again. Now before you go, I'll at least tell you that you can call me Nero… also, beware of Noir."

Ratchet was again dazed, but this time it was getting stronger and stronger. "Wha… go? I don't un-"

Suddenly everything went black.

Ratchet's eyes shot open again and he jerked up into a sitting position on the couch in his darkened quarter's on the Starship Phoenix. He was breathing hard and looking around, noticing the cold sweat on his body. He sighed when he realized he was safe and flopped back down onto the makeshift bed on the couch where he usually fell asleep while playing one of his vid comics. Clank must have shut everything off as he usually had.

He got up and began to walk toward the bathroom so he could wash his face, but stopped when he realized his pants were unusually tight. He looked down.

"Great… and after a nightmare like that too", he shuddered at the thought of it and resumed his walk to the bathroom.

Before he reached the bathroom, he checked his arsenal of weapons. He cycled through each of them, "Shock cannon, Splitter Rifle, Plasma Storm, come on… where is it?! AHH! Yes!", he pulled out the RYNOcerator and examined it, checking to make sure it wasn't hurt in any way. "Thank god… just a nightmare…"

Ratchet set the weapon down and put everything back where it belonged before heading into the bathroom and shutting the door before throwing cold water on his face.


	2. Sudden Anger

Ratchet groaned as he woke up for the second this morning, silently thanking the God he didn't have another nightmare like the one earlier. Despite the lack of nightmares, he did have a mild headache for reasons he did not know. He lay there for a second before deciding to start his day. He stood up from the couch and walked to his personal closet to find some clothes to wear.

He reached for his uniform, but thought for a moment and opted to wear something a bit comfier this morning and switch to the uniform later. He found a set of workout clothes and put them on, found some appropriate shoes, switched off the lights and headed off to breakfast.

As Ratchet made it halfway down the hallway, he suddenly felt a pain in his left shoulder, but as he went to rub and examine the area in question the pain subsided. He still wanted to know what had caused, but, as he started to look, Clank caught his attention by tugging on his pant leg.

"Are you alright, Ratchet? You don't look well," said the little robot.

"WHOA! Clank, don't startle me like that!" Ratchet exclaimed as he regained his composure.

"I'm sorry Ratchet, but the others wished for me to inform you that if you did not hurry to the mess hall, you would miss out on breakfast," said Clank with his usual tone.

"Oh, okay. Is everyone in there?" Ratchet replied as he walked with Clank toward the mess hall.

"No, actually. Helga is off to Metropolis with Qwark. I believe she said something about the fitness course. Skidd has already consumed his morning nourishment and has left to Florana for reasons he did not disclose to me," the little robot stated.

Ratchet rolled his eyes at way Clank always used far more words than necessary. He made it to the mess hall to find Al and Skrunch eating God knows what. Al was eating something that looked like a concoction only Helga could come up with while Skrunch was happy snacking on a smaller portion of the same thing, but with an assortment of fruit from the jungles of Florana.

"Hey, Ratchet! Get over here and have some of this! It's really good." Al already had a plate of the disturbing breakfast ready for Ratchet. "Now what did Helga call it again?" he said with his index finger on his chin and a look of deep thought on his face.

Skrunch suddenly chimed in, "Mwak mwak! Oo, oooo, AH!" as if he had the answer.

"I do believe that is correct, Skrunch," replied Clank who then turned to Ratchet, "You should sit down and eat."

"I'll settle for some Qwark-O's instead of that stuff," said Ratchet with a smirk as he poured himself a large bowl.

'Good to see there is something with Qwark's name on it that I can actually enjoy,' Ratchet thought to himself as he munched on the toasted Q-shaped oat bits and thunderbolt shaped marshmallows. He giggled a little bit when he read the cereal box's tagline, "They're Qwarktastic!" 

Two bowls of Qwark-Os and bit of conversing later…

"Hey dudes! What's up?" Skidd appeared out of nowhere and made Ratchet jump in his seat and curse. "Hey little monkey dude, I got the fruit you wanted!" he said as he dumped the fruit onto the table in front of the Syclopian who was more than pleased.

"Damn it, you scared me, Skidd!" growled Ratchet.

"Oh, sorry little dude, I didn- Whoa, you don't look so good, Ratchet," Skidd said, noticing Ratchet's face.

"What are you talking about?" Ratchet replied, a bit annoyed.

"Yeah, I see it too now that Skidd has mentioned it," remarked Al, with the others nodding in agreement. "Did you sleep well?"

Ratchet suddenly looked away and gave a slight shudder before answering, "Not really… just a bad dream is all," his gaze still off to the side.

Clank looked at the others and then back at Ratchet, "Well, do you need to talk abo-"

Ratchet rose up quickly, eyes glaring and his teeth bared in anger, "NO, THERE'S NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT! Just drop it!" The others backed off a bit at the sudden outburst. He turned and began to leave the table, "I'm going to go work out…"

The others looked at each other in shock and confusion as Ratchet made his way to the VR Training room.


	3. Disturbed

Ratchet walked into the small room that housed the VR Training console and stepped on the glowing platform. He pressed a few buttons to start the program, but he made an typing error and had to restart, eliciting a curse from him. He tried again and his hands made the same error.

"GOD DAMN IT! WORK, HANDS, WORK!" he screamed as he tried again, this time screwing up on a different part of the typing.

He was about to curse again, but stopped, instead opting to take a deep breath. He was pissed, but not at the guys. He just found himself angered by the thought of his "dream" and wanted to avoid any memory of it.

As he tried to calm down, he once again tried to activate the training program, this time it worked and Ratchet smiled a bit. He wanted to forget the nightmare and destroying a few… hundred virtual dummy bots would hopefully do the trick.

He stepped on the pad and instantly he was in the virtual world.

He wanted to get up close and personal with the opponents, so he brandished his wrench and got ready. Ratchet wasted no time rushing towards the tube that deployed his would-be victims and promptly began smashing them as they materialized. He wasn't really getting any enjoyment out of this, he simply thought of it as a work out but was quickly found out that he was not being challenged.

"Halt program," he barked and the program immediately halted all actions aside from the trails of energy that would crawl across the walls around him. He grinned at the dummy bots that had manage to get a Walloper only inches away from his face. "Open "OPTIONS" menu," he said with the same tone as before.

A small screen appeared before him. He touched the screens "DIFFICULTY" tab, which promptly let to more options. He switch the opponents weapons to "Projectile-based" and made sure that the AI could actually plan their actions and actually have a better chance at beating him. Now there was just one more option to consider… safety.

'_I'm no masochist… but if they can hurt me, I think they should be able to. Hell, it'll give me something else to think about!' _he thought to himself as he turned the safety off completely.

This was a bit of an over-exaggeration, as the program could not allow itself to be completely unsafe. If the reading showed his vitals to be in a dangerous state, the program would immediately shut off and emergency nano-tech would be administered. What the program would allow, however, is for damage inflicted by the dummy bots to actually hurt the body. The possibility of cuts, gashes, and even broken bones would be very real.

Ratchet sighed deeply, "Program… START!"

Almost instantly, dummy bots of different shapes and sizes swarmed him. Smaller, Dual Raptor wielding, dummy bots were the closest to him, with larger, Decimator wielding, dummy bots a ways behind them, and, finally, a few medium-sized, who were wielding Anti-Matter Rifles. Without any time to think, shots were fired from all around and chaos ensued.

"HOLY SHIT!!!" he screamed as he was attacked from all angles.

It was lucky for Ratchet that he was in great physical shape or he could never dodge all the shots fired at him and fight back at the same time. He leaped, rolled, bobbed, weaved, and dodged every shot that was fired around him. He managed to take out most of the small enemies himself, but it wasn't a problem to let their own blasts ricochet off the walls and take out their allies themselves. Of course, the rockets being launched at him were a different story.

The large dummy bots didn't have to worry about the Decimator's missiles when they exploded and released several smaller missiles that flew everywhere thanks to the friendly fire settings. Ratchet remembered that feature well. He never had to worry about taking damage from the gun either when he was using it.

It was not a large problem dealing with the big bots, it was only a matter of making sure that he timed his jumps so that he was never in mid-air when they would target him and fire. With this plan of action, dispatching the ballistics users was quick work. Now for the snipers, who were the biggest problems.

He rushed to his first victim, being sure move in irregular patterns so that he never was in the direct line of fire. It didn't matter what fail-safes the VR program had, a shot to the head from a rifle like the Anti-Matter Rifle was a guaranteed death without the safety on. He timed his jumps based on the reading he got from the dummy bots actions and dispatched the first bot quickly, leaping to the second one without hesitation and finishing him off just as quickly.

"Two left… all the way ove- WHOA!" he barely leaped out of the way as a shot whizzed past him and left a ringing in his right ear.

He rolled back onto his feet and immediately charged at the closest bot. As he closed the distance between the bot and himself, the other sniper took another shot, almost hitting Ratchet for the second time.

"Son of a bitch!" he cursed to himself and continued towards the closer bot. "That bot's good!"

He leaped out of the way of a shot fired from his current target, but the other bot fired a round and Ratchet could have sworn that he felt it singe his fur. He landed behind his target, spun around with his wrench and swiftly decapitated his opponent.

Before Ratchet could even turn around, he heard a round zip past his head, followed by blood splattering out and hitting his face and some falling to the floor as the pain of the damage to his left shoulder became apparent.

"AGHHHH! DAMN IT!" he howled in pain as he instinctively swung around and threw his wrench directly at the effective yet unlucky bot that was promptly reduced to scrap.

His right hand immediately grabbed for his shoulder as the simulation ended and he was back at the Phoenix. He winced as he looked at his shoulder to inspect the damage. It wasn't serious enough that he would need surgery, but he needed to get the infirmary before it did become serious.

A few minutes later…

Ratchet was sitting in the infirmary explaining to the medical bot what had happened.

"Ah, I see. Well, all we need to do is apply the necessary nano-tech and make sure it is properly healed. It shouldn't be a problem and you should be glad that this was all that you suffered," said the doctor.

"I just don't understand how I could let something like that cripple me so badly. I've been hit by worse, so my pain tolerance should be higher…" Ratchet groaned as he looked over the wound, the bleeding had stopped thanks to the doctor, but it still hurt like hell.

"Well, I can't explain that other than the fact that you weren't wearing any armor at the time of the injury. It was very unwise to re-start the VR training with such setting while only wearing workout clothes," he replied, which led to an embarrassed look on Ratchet's face who apparently hadn't taken his attire into consideration. "Of course, let's not forget that the weapon used is very powerful and can pass through an enemy's body with ease. I doubt getting hit by it would be fun, no matter the tolerance." The doctor then snapped his metal fingers, "Oh, and speaking of attire, remove that shirt so that we can properly administer the nano-tech, please."

"Oh, sure," Ratchet replied without much thought as he quickly got the shirt off of his right side and simply tore the left side of the shirt so that he didn't have to move his injured arm.

"Now this may sting at first, but it will becoming soothing very quickly," the doctor stated as he presented a blue metal spray bottle. "Hold still," he said as he took hold of Ratchet's left arm and sprayed a glowing blue liquid into the wound.

Ratchet winced from the stinging sensation, but sighed as the nano-tech began it ultra-fast regeneration process.

In only a few minutes, the wound was healed and doctor cleaned away any blood that was left.

"Sadly, you're are just going to have to let your fur grow back on it's own. Now if you could please strip so that I may check for any other damage to you body," The doctor signaled for Ratchet to go over the scanner once he finished undressing.

"Now, wait a minute. I'm not hurt anywhere else," stated Ratchet, not feeling comfortable being naked for anyone right now.

"Quit wasting time. This is a routine procedure for this sort of thing. I may have taken care of the main problem, but there could be other problems that you aren't aware of," he retorted rather coldly.

Ratchet did not like the idea, but he complied and quickly undressed. He hopped into the scanner with hesitation and covered himself with his hands as the scanner came to life and checked for any problems. After a few seconds, a red light came on, alerting the doctor to an irregularity that hadn't been there since Ratchet's last physical.

"What's going on?" Ratchet asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

"I'm sure it is nothing. You may step out now, but please do not get dressed until I have fully assessed the problem." The doctor looked over the reading, pressed a few buttons, and then walked over to Ratchet.

"So, am I gonna keel over any minute now?" he asked with a silly grin, though the hint of worry was still present.

"I doubt it. Please turn around," he replied without acknowledging Ratchet's attempt at humor.

Ratchet obeyed, but was a bit nervous about what was so important on his back.

The doctor poked Ratchet on his left should, under where the wound once was, "Oh, is that all? You know, next time you get a tattoo, please inform us so that we can pro-"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Ratchet spun around and brought his right hand to where the doctor poked.

"You're tattoo. That was the irregularity. You need to inform us of changes like that to your body," he replied with a bit of annoyance apparent in his voice.

"That isn't possible! I've never had a tattoo in my life!" he yelled, trying to make sense of what the doctor was saying.

"Well, I'm sorry, boy, but that is what you've got there. Though I can't quite figure out what it is supposed to mean… hmmm… I think it looks like a black hole. These outlined things going into it must be light. It's actually very nicely done," he finished speaking with a sort of matter-of-fact tone.

"You've got to be kidding me! Where's a mirror?!" he growled as he looked around.

He found a mirror and got it into the best angle he could to see his left shoulder. His eyes went wide as he realized that the tattoo was indeed there, but his eyes grew even wider when he realized that the tattoo was in the exact same place as the burning sensation he had felt before breakfast this morning.

"Wha…wha… what the fuck?! WHO DID THI-" Ratchet froze mid sentence. His eyes were wide, his body trembling. He began to fall backward.

"WHOA, BOY!" the doctor barely caught him in time and helped him sit on a cot. "What are you talking about, someone did this to you?!" he questioned, growing more concerned by the moment by his patients behavior.

Ratchet was slowly starting to remember the cause of the tattoo. It hit him like a nuke. His mind raced with images of being strapped down, the armored figure and his taunting, being groped and violated, it all came back again. However the one detail that stood out, was when he first gained "consciousness" in that "dream". It wasn't the dazed feeling, nor was it the headache… the burning in his shoulder. It was as if he had been branded.

He felt sick, very sick. It was sickening to think of the nightmare, but now this tattoo made it worse. This tattoo meant that it was… real.

Ratchet lunged for the trash can and emptied his entire breakfast into it.

"I… I… I need to go, I need t-to… lay down," he said with almost a lifeless tone as he stood and tried to leave, but was stopped by the doctor .

"Nonononono, you are not going anywhere in your condition. You are obviously distraught, both mentally and emotionally, as well physically drained. I want you to lay there. Don't bother with you clothes, just lay down and I'll just bring you several sheets to cover up with," he said, this time with a bit more of a concerned tone.

Ratchet didn't speak, he only obeyed, laying on his right side, facing the wall right next to him. He was trembling a bit, but not sobbing. He ran his right hand over the area where his tattoo was and he bared his fangs.

The doctor returned moments later with an extra pillow and several bed sheets. He placed the pillow under Ratchets head and covered him almost completely with the sheets.

"I shall inform the others of what is going on, but I will not allow them to visit until you have rested a bit. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask," he said in his best attempt at a comforting voice.

He pat Ratchet on the shoulder before walking away and turning out the lights to let him rest.

Ratchet sat there for a little while, no longer in total shock at the situation or how little sense it made, but instead going over the situation in his mind despite how sick it made him feel. He could not seem to control his trembling.

After a bit, he could not longer think without giving himself a headache or making his stomach hurt. He finally sighed, and closed his eyes, silently praying that he would not awake in that dark place again as he fell asleep.


	4. Sun, Sand, Water, and a Lombax

It was warm, very warm. The kind of warm one feels from lying on a beach.

Ratchet couldn't open his eyes, or rather that he didn't want to. He was too comfortable in this warmth and position. He felt sand underneath him and water at his feet.

'Well, hell… am I really at a beach? That doesn't make any sense… How the hell did I get to Pok-' he ended his thought when he realized that his hand was resting on something that was laying on him.

He felt it, trying to figure out what it was without opening his eyes. It was furry like him, warm, and… breathing?

Ratchet opened his eyes and was a bit shocked at first by his surrounding. He was definitely at a beach, but even Poketaru lacked this kind of beauty. The sand was unnaturally white, but had streaks of brown in it. The ocean in front of him was an unbelievable shade of blue, as if had never been polluted by even a person setting foot into it. The sky was not blue; it was more of a light violet that would have been mesmerizing if Ratchet were more focused on it. His eyes finally fell on the being laying on top him.

It was a Lombax, a male Lombax. He was facing away from Ratchet, towards the ocean, making it impossible to see his face. His head was blanketed by long brunette hair, not unlike the color of Ratchet's short hair. He had a good figure; his muscled were toned almost exactly like Ratchet's. His fur was almost identical to Ratchet's fur, except that he had a few tattoos running across his arms, legs, and back. They were dark blue and were reminiscent to tribal markings.

As Ratchet examined him, he suddenly realized how well he was able to examine his form in its entirety. Unlike him with his blue swim trunks, this guy was completely naked.

"Whoa!" he said, startled by this realization to the point that he jumped.

His reaction woke up the sleeping Lombax who jumped up himself and quickly got to his feet.

"What happened, is everything okay?!" he said, a look of worry in his eyes.

Ratchet's eyes went wide. Aside from the hair, tattoos, and his blue eyes… he was Ratchet. This kid had his face, his build, his… well, everything. Though, the voice was a bit different. It sounded… more innocent.

"Helloooooo? Are you alright in there?" the boy said again as he poked Ratchet on the chest.

Ratchet snapped out of his little trance, "Oh, umm… Who ARE you… and… why are you naked?" he said, suddenly realizing his gaze had fallen under the other Lombax's waist, before bringing it back up to the boy's face, his fur hiding his blushing but not his embarrassed expression.

"Well, I suppose you don't remember anything earlier. My name is Abel, and we've been laying here for a while, enjoying the scenery," Abel responded before glancing down at himself, then bringing his gaze back to Ratchet, "as for the whole nudity thing, well, I don't have any clothes… or rather, you didn't give me any," he finished with a rather sheepish grin.

"What do you mean I "didn't give you any"?! And why were laying on top of me like that?" he growled, wanting answers and fast.

A look of worry flashed across Abel's face for a moment, "It's… just as I implied. You didn't fail to bring yourself a pair of swim trunks, yet you didn't bring me any… and you didn't seem to mind me laying on you earlier. You actually seemed to enjoy it," Abel remarked with a smile.

Ratchet felt himself blush a bit more, "There are few people who I would let lay on me, and I most certainly wouldn't allow someone I don't know," he growled in response.

Abel seemed a bit hurt by the remark, "Well… that's funny, because I don't recall making you lay your hand on my side like that," he retorted with a sly grin and his grin grew even bigger when he could practically see the blushing under Ratchet's fur.

Ratchet couldn't deny that fact, he did have his hand on Abel and he had had it a lot closer to the Lombax's hip then he wanted to admit. He would've liked to also deny the fact that he did enjoy the feeling of Abel laying on him. It was comforting, but perhaps that was only because of how he had felt a bit earlier in the infirmary.

"Well, now that you realize I'm right," Able giggled, "if you still have such a problem with me being nude, you can just hand me your trunks… or you could make things even and just be like me. Unlike you, I don't have a problem with others being naked," he remarked with a smile.

Ratchet nearly choked at that last comment which elicited a burst of laughter from Abel. He finally regained his composure and stood up.

"Well, no thanks. I've already been naked in a "dream" once today and it wasn't a pleasant experience at that," he said coldly.

"How do you know this is a dream?" Able replied with a cocked eyebrow and a slight smile.

"Simple, there's no other way to explain how I'm here and why I don't I can't remember how I got here. I was very stressed when I fell asleep, so my mind could have just thrown together anything to calm me down… though I'm a bit puzzled by the end result," he stated with almost an analytical tone in his voice.

"Why exactly are you puzzled?" Able asked curiously.

"My mind's choice of situation… Why would I be holding another guy who looks a lot like me?" he said, almost more to himself than Abel tilted his head to the right. "Perhaps it's my minds way of letting me comfort myself with a sort of doppelganger. Maybe you are one of the ways I see myself," he finished with a smile, feeling a bit better after hearing his own explanation, but he couldn't help but notice that Abel was giggling again. "What's so funny?" he said, a bit annoyed.

"Well, I'm not sure how much of what you said is true, but I can tell you that you don't have to worry about anything here. This world is practically yours to control," Able smiled to Ratchet, "and since this world is wonderful, I feel like enjoying it!"

He walked to the edge of the water and then looked back at Ratchet, "Care for a swim?"

Ratchet shrugged, "Sure, why not?"


	5. Fun in the Sun

The ocean water felt great. It was nice and warm to the touch to Ratchet as he stood there, the water only up to his ankles so far. He watched as Abel leaped into the water rather gracefully before reemerging and having to wipe his hair out of his face.

"Come on in, you'll enjoy it!" he said, waving an arm to Ratchet.

"Alright, but watch out!" he replied as he took a few steps back before sprinting towards Abel and then leaping into the air, going a ways past him.

SPLASH!

Ratchet opened his eyes and looked around. It was amazing, the water was so clear. He could see everything as if it he were not even underwater. He swam around a bit before resurfacing. He wiped the water out of his eyes and looked around.

"Abel? Where'd you g-" he was cut off suddenly by Abel leaping out of the water at him.

"KAFLAAAAH!!!" Abel yelled out, trying to catch Ratchet off guard as well as make him laugh.

"HOLY MOTHER OF-!!!" Ratchet tried to scream as Abel landed on him, only having enough time to throw up his arms in defense.

They both went underwater as Abel tried to wrestle with Ratchet.

After a while of them both managing to pin the other underwater, get pinned themselves, as well go up every time they needed air. They weren't paying attention to where they were going as they jumped around and flipped each other over. They slowly found themselves in shallower water.

They had made it back to the beach and, with his last bit of his energy, Ratchet managed to throw Abel to the ground and pin him down by holding his wrists down with his hands and sitting on his stomach.

"Ha, I win!" he said, panting, "What do you have to say to that, hmm?"

Abel smirked at him, "I'd say you did win. You also seemed to being enjoy it a lot to not notice a few things."

Ratchet cocked his eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

Able smirked and then eyed down to which Ratchet's gaze quickly followed.

Ratchet immediately blushed, "Uh… I…"

He had apparently lost his trunks in the water at some point, but that was not the biggest reason for his blushing. He had a rock-hard erection. He was speechless as his eyes darted back to Abel's who was laughing.

"I… I'll get up," Ratchet said like he had a lump in his throat as he let go of Abel's wrists and tried to stand.

"Now, now, don't be like," Abel spoke up before grabbing Ratchet by the sides and pushing him onto the ground next to him, catching Ratchet off guard.

Ratchet blinked as Abel's face found itself only inches away from his. He smiled at Ratchet before laughing a bit at the look on his face.

"Don't be so upset about it. It's actually kind of flattering," he said, trying to make Ratchet feel better, but then he cocked his eyebrow, "is it that you are freaked out by how your body reacted? I don't want you to be scared or anything," he said as he laid down next to the embarrassed Lombax.

"I've just never had that happen to me… in this kind of situation," Ratchet finally said. He closed his eyes for a moment before realizing something, "Wait a minute, why did that just happen anyway? I thought this was just a dream" he said, looking at Abel who smirked.

"Well, I suppose I can't help you figure that out. It's a bit more complicated than I care to explain," Abel said, looking into the sky, "well, I had fun. It was good to meet you, finally."

Ratchet sat up, confused by the comment, "What are you talking about?

"It's nothing to worry about. Answers come when they are needed," Able replied as he sat up. "Now it's time for me to go… time for you to go too," he said, looking off into the distance.

"Okay, now your just starting to confuse me," Ratchet said, "I don't think I und-" he was cut off by Abel tapping him on the forehead. He suddenly began to feel very tired, "What did… you.. do… to," he couldn't finished finish his sentence before passing out and falling back on the sand with a low thud.

Abel giggled at the sight. Ratchet was in a very deep sleep, his mouth open wide as he snored. Abel leaned his head over the snoring Lombax's own head and gave him a light kiss on the forehead.

"It was very fun, and I know we'll be meeting again soon. Heheheh, thanks for giving me my life," he said as he stood up, wiped the sand off his backside, and walked off into the distance as the world around him and Ratchet faded away.


	6. Relief is Always Overshadowed

"We demand that you let us see him!" Clank said with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, dude, this is bogus!" Skidd stated; his arms crossed.

"Indeed!" Al remarked in agreement.

"Mwak!" said Skrunch, mimicking Al's tone.

All four of them had the poor doctor cornered. If he hadn't been a bot, he would have been sweating buckets.

"I'm sorry everyone, but he is in no condition to be having visitors," he said, "He has suffered from sort of mental breakdown. I have yet to discover the cause of it all. Please, just let him rest."

Clank was not satisfied, "That is preposterous! Ratchet is in great mental health! If there had been a problem, I would have been the first to kn-"

Ratchet had just stepped out of the infirmary with a smile on his face. His hands were in the pockets of his workout pants and he was whistling as he walked right past the group. He hadn't seemed to notice them.

"R… Ratchet?" everyone said in unison, not including Skrunch, but Ratchet didn't seem to notice them.

He continued walking and the group of confused friends and the doctor followed him until they reached the cafeteria. Ratchet walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a can of soda, opened, and turned around while taking a sip only to finally notice the group that had been following him.

"Umm… hi?" he said, not moving the can away from his mouth, "Is something wrong?"

"That's something we'd all like to know," Clank said, looking up at his friend.

"Indeed, you are acting completely different from only an hour ago. Earlier, you were completely freaked out, now you seem… happy," the doctor remarked

Ratchet shrugged before gulping down the rest of his drink, crushing the can, and tossing into the garbage. He walked over to a table and sat down.

"I guess that little rest was all that I needed," he finally said with a smile.

Skidd had been a bit confused since Ratchet had stepped out of the infirmary and finally decided to ask the question, "When did you get a tattoo?" but he quickly noted the doctor giving him a horrified look and Ratchet's fur suddenly standing on end.

Everything was quiet for a moment before Ratchet's fur went back to normal and he sighed.

"It's not important…" Ratchet finally replied.

The doctor sighed in relief, "Well, Ratchet, you've had quite a day. I'll let you relax with your friends. Just try to take it easy, alright," he said before leaving the cafeteria.

Everyone was still staring at Ratchet and, more specifically, his tattoo. It took a moment for him to notice the others.

"You guys have to the count of three," he said holding up three fingers, causing the others to back off quickly.

"Sorry," they all said, with Skrunch making an apologetic 'mwak'.

"It's alright, just don't do it again, I'd rather not think about it," Ratchet said, setting his hand down on the table.

He was about to say something else when suddenly the intercom came to life.

"Captain Ratchet! A ship is approaching the Phoenix! Please report to the bridge!" the booming voice said, a hint of nervousness in it.

A few moments later, Ratchet and the rest were at the bridge.

"Bring the unidentified ship up on the screen," he ordered.

In moments the screen came to life and the ship in question was shown.

"What the hell?" said one of the crewman.

The ship appeared as if it had been through hell. It had many breaches in it's hull and it looked as if could just fall into oblivion at any time.

"This is extremely odd, Ratchet," Clank said with a concerned tone, "That ship's outward appearance is deceiving… it's running at as if it were in perfect condition."

"Are you sure about that?" replied Ratchet with a cocked eyebrow.

"There is no doubt about it. Scans show that the ship is indeed at full power and there is life on it," Clank stated. "Hmm… interesting."

"What, what is it?" Ratchet asked, a bit concerned.

Clank looked at the ship, then at Ratchet's shoulder, and then again at the ship.

"The insignia on that ship is identical to the tattoo on you shoulder," Clank finally replied, pressing a button that allowed the screen to show a closer image of the ship, confirming his discovery.

Ratchet's eyes were wide and everyone was looking at him, unsure of what his next action would be.

Ratchet's closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then looked at everyone around him with a slight grin, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I want answered," he said, "and I think we all know where to find them!" he finished, before glaring at the mysterious ship.

"So what's the plan, Captain?" a crewman asked.

"All personnel are to report to their posts. Skidd, Al, and Skrunch will assist the crew in any way possible and be ready to provide backup for me if I run into any trouble while on that ship," he ordered and then looked down at Clank, "You know the drill."

"Of course, but are you sure it is wise to be the only ones to go?" he asked, not sure about this plan of action.

"I'm sure," he replied as he looked at everyone, "this will be simple…" he looked up before coldly saying, "don't be surprised if I come back covered in someone else's blood."

He left the room without another word and everyone else was a bit disturbed by his last comment.

Clank looked at the others before running to catch up with Ratchet, feeling very worried about what was about to happen.


	7. Questionable Defenses

Zip-up the body suit, strap on the armor, buckle the boots, slip on the gloves, and put on the helmet. Grab the arsenal, cock each gun, load the ammo, pocket the rest, check the scopes, feel the weight of each, and get ready to use them.

Ratchet ran through the usual motions without much thought. He put away each weapon and memorized the placement for the quickest access to the right tools for whenever he would have to cycle through them.

He looked over himself one last time and then looked at Clank, "Ready?"

"I suppose, I just hope you aren't making a bad decision, Ratchet," the little robot replied.

"We'll know soon enough," he remarked with a smirk, chuckling to himself.

"That's not something to laugh about," Clank said, a bit annoyed.

"Heheh, sorry about that," Ratchet said, rubbing the back of his head, "Let's go."

Aboard Ratchet's ship and approaching the unidentified ship…

"You know, it would have been nice if there had been a way to just contact that ship," Clank remarked.

"Wow, I didn't even consider doing that… I guess I'm still having a hard time getting the hang of the whole 'captain' thing," Ratchet replied, a tad bit embarrassed.

"Do not worry about that, I would I have requested that we try contacting them first if my scans hadn't indicated that the ship was blocking all incoming transmissions," Clank said.

"Oh, well, that's good to kn- WHOA! HOLY SHIT!" Ratchet screamed as he had been cut off by a sudden flurry of turret blasts coming from the unidentified ships, "HANG ON!"

Ratchet immediately began to dodge each shot that was fired at his ship. Spinning to deflect blasts proved very effective until the enemy ship began sending out assault ships that were just as relentless as the turrets.

"Damn!" Ratchet cursed, trying his best to avoid as many shots as possible, even though his tiny ship was taking a beating.

"We are doomed," Clank said, looking rather nervous.

"I already proved you wrong once before on that topic, I'll do it again!" Ratchet yelled, before steering straight for the enemy ship.

"What are you doing?!" Clank yelled, trying not to panic.

"We can't survive in this dog fight, so we're landing!" he yelled, pointing at the docking bay that were now beginning to close.

"We'll never make it!" Clank yelled, putting his hands over his eyes.

"Oh yes, we will!" Ratchet yelled back, pressing a button on the back of his helmet that caused protective armor to cover his face, neck, and ears. "If I time this right, we'll be just fine!"

"I hope so…" Clank replied.

Ratchet's ship kept taking more and more hits and was beginning to fall apart as it got closer and closer to the docking bay. The doors were only meters away from each other and would be closed before they could make it past them; Ratchet was aware of this as he forced the ship to tilt forward as they got closer until they were almost able to look straight up at the bay doors.

"HANG ON!" he screamed as he grabbed Clank by the arm and slammed his first on the ejector button.

The shot out of the ship, propelled by the jets of Ratchet's ejector seat as well as the momentum from the ship. They flew past the closing doors just in time to hear them completely close behind them and lock-up.

Ratchet hit the ground hard and rolled for moment before jumping to his feat with his RYNOcerator in hand, ready to blow anything that wasn't Clank. The problem was… there was no one there who fell under that category.

"This place is… empty?" Ratchet said, confused as he scanned the bay and it's many ships, crates, and other items; all of them heavily rusted.

He pressed the same button on his helmet, retracting the newer armor, as began to walk towards the only door in the room that he could see with Clank running behind him to catch up.

Ratchet's ComLink came to life startling Ratchet, "R…CHET! RAT…T!" The garbled voice belonged to Al. "ARE Y.. A…IGHT?!" he yelled.

"Yeah, we're fine! I want all of you to stay there at the Phoenix until I request backup or an evac!" he ordered, shutting off the ComLink, and then glaring at Clank. "I thought you said all incoming transmissions were blocked!" he growled.

"At the time, they were," the little robot replied, a bit puzzled.

Ratchet sighed and then continued walking, "This day just keeps getting weirder," he murmured to himself.


	8. Things that Have No Answer

"Where the hell is everyone?" Ratchet said, feeling a bit annoyed now

"I'm not sure, but I'm guessing, from the rust build-up on the equipment in the docking bay and the fact that there is no one here, that this ship has been long abandoned," Clank replied.

"But you said that you detected life on this ship!" Ratchet was getting impatient.

"True, but I also was under the impression that transmissions to this ship would be jammed," Clank remarked.

Ratchet didn't say anything else as they walked. They passed several doors, each one was either locked or rusted beyond all hope of opening; even several strikes from the Omniwrench proved futile. Each step left Ratchet feeling more annoyed, and he was about to try to call Al for an evac when he suddenly stopped.

Clank noticed his friend's abrupt halt, "What is it, Ra-"

"SHHH!" Ratchet hissed, his eyes darting back and forth and his ears twitching, "Can you hear that?"

"Ummm.. no, what is it?" Clank replied, trying his best to hear what ever it was Ratchet was listening to.

Ratchet started running, leaving Clank behind to try and catch up. He ran as fast as he could, the sound getting louder with each corridor he went through. He couldn't remember how many corners he had turned, how many times he had almost tripped, how long he had been running, until he finally came to a well-polished door. He let himself catch his breath and then walked up to the door, which opened automatically, engulfing Ratchet in a blinding light.

"Damn… can't see anything!" he hissed, trying to block out the light with his hand as he carefully walked through the doorway.

As his eyes adjusted, he slowly took in the scene before him.

"No… way…" was all he could say at the expansive landscape in front of him

It was a beautiful valley, covered in tall grass and blue flowers; a type of flower that Ratchet did not recognize. A single tree could be seen in the distance and it's leaves allowed it to cast a large shadow on the ground.

Ratchet's eyebrow cocked, "Shadow?" he said as he looked up; his jaw dropping instantly.

It was a sun, bright and shining like any sun he had ever known. The warmth from it was just as realistic. The clouds around it floated by and he could see darker clouds in the distance and what looked like rain. There were blue butterflies fluttering by and one landed on Ratchet's ear, causing it to twitch he shooed it away.

"Wow… this is amazing!" he said, still looking at everything around him, taking note of the sound coming from the nearby river.

He turned his attention to music once more, which had grown louder. He began to walk forward, but after a while it became difficult to keep walking. His eyes grew heavy and he yawned.

"So… soothing," he half-yawned his words as he stretched, swaying slightly back and forth to the sound of the music before falling over, completely passed out and snoring loudly.

What seemed like hours passed…

"So, are you gonna help me out here?" a familiar voice said to Ratchet, though he could not see anything.

"Umm… sure… who is this?" he said, trying to see who was talking to him.

"Tsk, you don't recognize me?" the owner of the voice sounded a bit hurt by this, "Oh well, you'll have your answer soon enough. All you have to do is…"

"Is what? Tell me!" Ratchet said, anxious to see who it was behind the voice.

"Wake up, Ratchet…"

"Wake up."

"Wake up, Ratchet!"

"WAKE UP, LOMBAX!"

Ratchet's eyes shot open and he looked up at Clank, who was standing over him.

"Finally, you were beginning to worry me!" Clank said, sighing in relief.

Ratchet sat up, stretched a bit while yawning, and then rubbed his eyes. He blinked before looking around. The valley was gone, replaced with the same dark, dilapidated scenery as the corridors from earlier.

"What happened to the valley?" Ratchet said, a bit confused.

"What valley?" Clank replied.

"The one that wa- oh, never mind," Ratchet grumbled to himself as he stood up. He suddenly realized that something else was missing. "What happened to the music?"

Clank gave him an odd look, now he was getting annoyed, "I never heard any music. I followed you as fast as I could and when I finally managed to reach you, you were sound asleep on the ground. I only lost sight of you for forty-three seconds."

"Are you serious? That's impossible, I saw a huge a valley and it had everything under the sun, LITERALLY! That music, it was so soothing that I couldn't help but pass out!" Ratchet said, waving his hands back and forth at where the valley used to be.

"Well it seems that this ship is far more mysterious than what we had previously thought," Clank replied and was about to say something else when he blinked at something in the distance, "Did that door just open?"

Ratchet glanced over his shoulder. There was indeed a newly opened door and Ratchet blinked at it.

"Well, let's go!" he said, starting to walk towards it, readying the RYNOcerator for whatever was behind it.

They both stepped through doorway, and took in the sight. There were many control panels, monitors, and readings that surrounded two cryo-stasis capsules that sat side-by-side. The capsule on the left was broken, as if something had burst out of it; Ratchet did not like the idea of that.

"It would appear that this capsule is still operational… and occupied!" Clank said, looking over the readings while pointing at the capsule on the right.

"Well, what should we do?" Ratchet replied, trying to look into the capsule, but unable to make out anything.

"Well, it is possible that whoever is in the capsule could tell us what is going on here… of course, they could also be hostile and attack us," Clank said with a nervous tone.

"Crack it open, and we'll see what pops out!" Ratchet readied his weapon.

"Opening capsule in three, two… one," the little robot said as he pressed the appropriate buttons on the control panel near the capsule.

Click, click, click.

Several locks were released and the capsule slid open, letting a thick veil of white mist spread into the room. Ratchet squinted his eyes to see the occupant and stepped back a bit.

An arm flew out and latched onto the side of capsule, causing Ratchet and Clank to both jump, luckily for the occupant, Ratchet was not so trigger-happy and managed to hold off firing at the capsule. Next, a leg came out, a bit shaky as it tried to stabilize itself.

"Come on, let's see all of you!" Ratchet shouted, trying to get a better look at the figure in the slowly dispersing mist.

The figure fully stepped out, removing his hand from the side of the capsule, revealing an indention from where he had grasped it. He had his head down and began to slowly look up at the duo before him, wiping his hair away from his face.

Ratchet gasped.


	9. That Unfading Smile

**Author's Notes:**

Hello everyone, I hope you have been enjoying the story so far. I've certainly enjoyed writing it so far.

I'm curious to know what everyone thinks about this story and I would love some reviews, if not of the story, than just of my writing style and what I could improve on.

I would also like to know if you guys think I'm staying true to the each character's nature. I do understand that Ratchet's getting shocked and wide-eyed a lot, but I hope I've given good reason for it. I also am curious about how much people like Abel. Sure, he has had barely any time in the spot-light, but I'm still curious.

For anyone who is interested, once I have finished another chapter or two, I'll post some pictures of Abel and Nero on my Photobucket account(and anywhere else that I can think of) and provide links to the pages for those of you who want to see what they look like.

**Important:** I know I have been posting chapters everyday since I started this story(except yesterday, which I apologize for), but this will be the last chapter I post until(at the earliest) Sunday night. The latest would be Monday night (BIG research paper that I have to work on).

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Ratchet stood there motionless; his eyes wide in shock. His arms fell to his side as his gun slipped from his grip and landed on the ground with a loud metallic thud. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He couldn't believe how impossible this was, despite the sheer proof that stood before him.

It was a Lombax, a male Lombax. His head was blanketed by long brunette hair, not unlike the color of Ratchet's short hair. He had a good figure; his muscled were toned almost exactly like Ratchet's. His fur was almost identical to Ratchet's fur, except that he had a few tattoos running across his arms, legs, and back. They were dark blue and were reminiscent to tribal markings.

Clanks looked at the nude Lombax in front of them and then at Ratchet, "Ratchet… he looks…"

The Lombax glanced at Clank and then looked over all of his surroundings. He blinked a few times before his gaze fell upon Ratchet again.

"Good to see you again," the Lombax said gingerly.

Clank was growing more confused by the second, "Ratchet, do you know this person?" he said.

"I… I…" Ratchet was too paralyzed by what he was seeing to say anything.

Clank, looked at his dumbstruck partner, "Ratche-"

"He does. He does know me," the Lombax said suddenly with a smile.

Ratchet blinked and was suddenly able to think again. He took a step forward and began to smile a bit.

"Abel? Is… is that you?!" he said with a bit of excitement in his voice.

Abel giggled, "I'm glad to see you remember me!"

He began to walk towards Ratchet, but as he took his first step his right leg began to tremble and he fell to his knees.

"ABEL!" Ratchet yelled as he lunged towards Abel and caught him. "Are you alright?!" he cried.

Abel blinked at how fast he had been caught, "Oh, I- I'm fine. My leg is just still a bit weak from resting, I guess," he said, with an embarrassed grin.

Clank was looking at the two Lombaxes with a look of complete confusion on his face, "Ratchet? This 'Abel'… he… he looks almost exactly like you! Change the eye color, cut the hair, hide the tattoos, and you have another Ratchet!"

Abel managed to stand on his feet before looking at Clank, "Hmm, so you noticed?" he remarked, smiling.

"Ratchet, do you have a brother?" Clank asked.

"Umm… no, not that I know of!" Ratchet replied.

"Well, then how can you explain his appearance? I would also like to know how you two know each other; you've never mentioned him before to me," Clank said with a curious look on his face.

"Well, I…" Ratchet didn't have an answer for the first question, and the answer for the second one sounded too crazy to even consider.

"Oh, we're just good friends," Abel said, catching both Clank and Ratchet off guard, "we met a while back on a beach. He was looking so depressed when I first saw him."

Ratchet was shocked by what Abel said; Abel being real had already been hard to believe, but he had not expected the beach to be real as well, "Umm… the beach?"

"Oh yeah, don't you remember? It was beautiful. There was a clear ocean, white sand with brown streaks, and the violet sky. You were sitting there like you're heart was broken, but I managed to cheer you up! Even got you go into the water after you woke up," Abel replied, laughing.

Ratchet blushed under his fur, "Oh… yeah, I think I remember."

"Well, good. I'm glad to hear it," Abel said, still smiling, "Hmm, now that we got that out of the way, I need to find my things." Abel began walking around, looking for something.

"Umm… can we help?" Clank said, watching Abel look around.

"Sure! I'm just having trouble remembering where I- AH! Of course!" Abel cried out with a joyous tone. "They're in there," he said, pointing towards a door that was to the right of the broken capsule.

He walked up to it and tried to open it, but to no avail as it was locked. He banged on it a few times with his fist before looking over towards Ratchet.

"Need some muscle?" Ratchet remarked, smirking a bit before picking up his RYNOcerator, and walking over to the door.

He put away his gun and pulled out his Omniwrench. Without wasting any time, he began bashing on the door, but after a moment, he realized it was having no effect.

"Well, if that won't work, this should do the trick!" he said as he put away his wrench and revealed his Decimator. "Stand back!" he yelled, giving Abel enough time to move before pulling the trigger.

BOOOOOOOOM!

The room shook for a moment after the explosion, causing equipment to fall over. The door had been opened and the trio entered the room.

"I can't see a thing in here! Too much smoke!" Ratchet hissed.

"Perhaps you should have considered a lesser weapon," Clank remarked.

"Oh well, at least now I can find what I need," Abel said, before walking forward.

Ratchet tried to wave the smoke away from his face as he took a step forward, suddenly hearing a loud crunch.

"What in the…?" he knelt down, still having a hard time seeing.

He picked up the part of the object that he hadn't crushed and examined it as best he could. It was a smooth, ivory colored, and it appeared to be stained by something brown.

"What on Veldin? Is this a…" Ratchet gasped and looked up in horror, seeing what the smoke had been hiding up until this point.

It was a scene of carnage that had taken place long ago. In the center of the room, bones were piled on top of each other, reaching up past Ratchet's head; skulls, rib-cages, femurs, every bone Ratchet could imagine finding in himself was there, a hundred-fold.

Blood was everywhere, dried from the untold time it had been sitting there. Splattered on the walls, ceiling, and floor; like some kind of macabre paint job.

Ratchet and Clank both stared, eyes wide, at the scene before them until their eyes fell upon Abel, who stood in the front of them, facing the bone pile.

He turned towards the horrified duo; the same smile still ever present on his face.

"Well, are you two just going to stand there, or are you going to help me?" he said.


	10. The Dark Counterpart

**A few things from Captain Random:**

I apologize for being a bit later than I had planned in uploading this chapter. It did not help that this site was having some technical issues, but that's in the past.

I'm not entirely sure if I was completely focused on this as I wrote, so if you would like, please write a review to tell me whether I did a great, okay, or terrible job with it.

Also, I'm a bit concerned with my style as well as how I'm... well, I can think of the proper word.. portraying(?) Ratchet in this story with its more mature themes. Like I said, I would like reviews that can give me the helpful critism that I love to receive.

I appreciate how quickly this story has gone over 100 hits (I'm not if the speed of it was normal or not, but it was cool to see) and I've noticed that apparently quite a few people stopped at chapter 1. Hehehe, did I scare them off by having Ratchet examined in that way? xD

Anyway, I've wasted enough time with this. For everyone who is enjoying the story, I hope you continue to with this chapter.

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No one said anything for a while as Ratchet and Clank were too busy trying to make sense of all this. The scene before them was not recent, that much was certain. For Ratchet, the most unsettling thing was Abel's smile.

"Well?!" Abel said, becoming annoyed.

Ratchet regained his composure and glared at Abel, "Abel, did you do this?!"

"Did I do what?" he replied, his head slightly tilted.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I MEAN?!" Ratchet yelled, causing Abel to jump in surprise, "What the hell is with these bones?! THE BLOOD?!"

Abel blinked, realizing what Ratchet was talking about, before rubbing the back of his head, "Oh… yeah, I'm sorry about that, I hadn't really thought much about it."

Ratchet and Clank both blinked at what Abel said, dumbstruck.

"How can you be so unfazed by this?" Clank said, it was obvious how disturbed he was by this.

"And you still haven't answered my question! Did you do this?!" Ratchet growled.

Abel glanced at the bones and then looked back at the duo, "No, of course not."

"Then how the hell do you explain this?! You sure as hell don't act like you're bothered by this… this gore!" Ratchet hissed.

"Well, it's just that I'm not surprised by it," Abel said, appearing to be a bit nervous.

"And how is that, exactly?" Clank asked with narrow eyes.

"It's just not surprising for my brother to do this," he finally said in a low tone.

"Brother?!" both Ratchet and Clank said in unison.

"Yes, my brother… Caine," Abel replied, his gaze dropping to the floor as he said the name, his hand rising up to point a monitor on a wall beside them. "Caine is… by definition… merciless."

With a snap of his fingers, the monitor came to life; how exactly was beyond Ratchet or Clank's understanding. The video showed several reptilian scientists, the exact species was hard to specify, as they began to back away from something that was off-screen. They soon fell to their knees as if praying or begging until the cause of their fear was revealed.

He could have been Abel's twin. His nude form revealed that he had the figure, the hair, and the fur; the only truly noticeable difference had to be the crimson tattoos the covered his body as well as his eyes. They were far more severe than Abel's, giving him a more terrifying appearance, which was only heightened when his eyes came in to focus. They were a demonic; the pupil's slit like a serpent's, truly lacking any resemblance to Abel's or his.

This "Caine" looked into the camera and grinned, revealing sharp fangs that only added to the malicious nature of it, before returning his gaze to the helpless scientists. He seemed to show no sympathy or pity for those cowering beneath him as he raised a hand, revealing sharp claws.

"Oh my god…" was all that could escape Ratchet's mouth as he witnessed the carnage unfold.

Caine's strength was unreal. He could tear limbs off with ease, snap neck's with a single hand, and cease heart-beats with a single palm-thrust, but the truly horrific display was when he swiftly removed the head of the last scientist with a disturbingly loud yank.

The merciless Lombax stood there for several minutes, observing his blood-soaked body as he began laugh, the sound of it sending a chill down Ratchet's spine. The laughter suddenly cut off as Caine stared into the camera, raising his hand to point into it, while smearing his face with the blood on his other hand.

"To those who it may concern, you'll regret coming onto this ship," he said, his eyes appearing to fall on Ratchet before he walked off-screen, laughing maniacally until he was too far away to be heard.

Nobody said anything for a few minutes until Ratchet looked at Abel, "What in the blue FUCK was that… thing?!"

"Like I said, my brother," Abel replied timidly.

Ratchet turned to Clank, "We should probably get out of here, ASAP. He might still be he-"

"Unlikely," Abel interrupted.

"Why?" Ratchet hissed.

"That video was recorded over a year ago. If he had remained on the ship, he would have run out of food month's ago," he replied, trying to smile as he turned to look around the room.

Ratchet watched Abel for a moment before sighing. He kneeled down and whispered to Clank, "I still say we need to leave right now."

"I agree, but are we going to leave him here?" Clank replied.

"HELL NO!" Ratchet yelled, causing Clank to blink and making Abel look back to see what was the problem. "I mean, I have a lot of questions to ask him," he finally said.

Clank gave him an awkward look, "Oh… kay? Well, if you say so, Ratchet."

They both glanced at Abel, who was now putting on clothing he had found in one of the lockers in the back of the room. He was quickly dressed in very loose white clothes reminiscent of pajamas.

"Ready to go? I couldn't find my gear, so I'll just have to do without," Abel said with a smile.

Ratchet looked at Clank and then back at Abel, "Sure, let's go."

It took a great while them to reach the docking bay.

"Al, can you hear me?" Ratchet said into his CommLink.

No response.

"AL, ARE YOU THERE?" he yelled.

Abel sighed, "You're wasting your time. The ship is probably blocking any transmissions from coming or going."

"We were able to contact my friends earlier, it shouldn't be a problem now," Ratchet replied, getting annoyed.

"Perhaps the device that jams the signals on this ship is malfunctioning, turning on and shutting off at random," Clank said.

"That's likely the case," Abel remarked, "It's fine, we have a way out."

Abel walked over to a control panel and began typing.

"Another way out, where?" Ratchet said, curious.

With a final keystroke, Abel turned and smiled at Ratchet as the floor behind Abel opened and an elevator brought up a large star cruiser.

Ratchet grinned, "Awesome, but what do we do about the defenses outside?" looking to see if Abel had an answer for that too.

Abel turned around and pressed a few more keys before looking back at Ratchet, "Problem solved. Now, I can't pilot this ship, so I'm hoping that one of you can," pressing another switch, causing the ship's cockpit to open which he promptly hopped into.

Ratchet and Clank looked at each other and laughed before they looked back at Abel.

"I'm sure I can handle it," Ratchet said with a smirk as he and Clank walked up to the ship and hopped in, closing the cockpit opening behind them.

Ratchet turned on the ship as the docking bay doors opened. He looked back at Abel, who was sitting in the center of the back seat, "When we get back to the Phoenix, I have quite a few questions for you to answer and I won't take "no" for an answer," he said, "I want to know a few things about this ship, your monster of a brother, and you."

Abel laughed a bit, "Okay, I'm willing to be interrogated," he said with a smirk.


	11. Interrogation and Initiation

A word from Captain Random:

Hola, everybody! Damn has it been a while since my last chapter.. well, at least a long while considering how I ofter I try to post chapters.

I'm sorry for not posting sooner, but I had other things I needed to do. I'll try to post more often, I promise.

Also, I WANT CRITIQUE! DDDDDDDDDD:

I'm really scared that my sentence structure is getting sloppy or that it's "painful" for you guys to read. I'm not trying to say that I just don't think my work is any good, I'm not self-destructive like that, I just think I'm noticing a few problems that can be resolved with input from readers.

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The room was white and featureless aside from the oval table and metal chairs that surrounded it. There were no windows for any to look into or for the occupants to look out of. The only two people in the room were Ratchet and Abel, who were sitting across from each other.

"This isn't exactly a comfortable setting," Abel mumbled.

"Well, this is the Phoenix's 'private' interrogation room. Usually if we have to get extremely physical or use extreme threats in order to make a criminal talk, we do it here," Ratchet replied, before noticing the expression on Abel's face, "Oh nononono! That's not why we're here!" he quickly said, his hands up in the air.

Abel sighed, "Oh, alright, but then why are we here?"

"Well, I do have questions for you, but most of them do not concern the others," Ratchet replied with a serious expression.

"So where do you want to start?" Abel tilted his head slightly.

"Alright, how do you know me?" Ratchet narrowed his eyes a bit.

Abel giggled slightly, "Don't tell me you forgot? Or are you just curious to hear me say it myself?"

Ratchet blinked, "So then… what I dreamt was…"

"'Real' is not the best word, but it was not just a dream. I met you subconsciously," Abel said with a matter-of-fact tone.

Ratchet's jaw dropped a bit, "H-how is that even possible?"

"If you have the right technology, anything is possible," Abel said with a smile, "The technology that I used to meet you was developed by my master and his… colleague," he winced slightly with the last word.

"'Master'? Who is he?" Ratchet questioned, becoming more and more intrigued by the minute.

"Well… I'd rather not say any names, if that's alright," Abel looked down a bit.

Ratchet cocked his eyebrow, "Hold on, you're not a slave, are you?"

Abel almost choked, "Oh nonono, nothing like that. Its just that my master is a very private individual and has given me strict instructions not to reveal his name to anyone unless my life depends on it or I can be absolutely certain that the person asking is trustworthy."

Ratchet looked up for a moment, "So how do I gain your trust?"

"I'll let you know when you have it completely," Abel replied and his smile returned.

"Hmph, okay. Well, let's move on. What was that ship we found you on?" Ratchet said as he leaned inward.

Abel looked up at the ceiling before speaking, "It was a transport ship called the Dark Spectrum. My master's colleague was in charge of it when I was put into cryo-sleep."

"Hmmm, well then I have two questions based on that bit of info. First, why were in that capsule? Were you just asleep until you reached a destination."

"Well, yes, we were going somewhere, but my master never told me the location," Abel scratched his left ear as he spoke.

"Alright, so what about the colleague? Is it possible that Caine killed him off as well," Ratchet said, a look of concern was visible.

"Oh no, that is highly unlikely. Caine would never even consider hurting his master for fear of being beaten by him," Abel shuddered slightly.

Ratchet's jaw dropped completely, "HIS master?! So let me see if I understand this, you two are brothers, but you have different masters who are colleagues. Is that all correct?"

Abel nodded, "I'm sure Caine was taken off the ship by his master shortly after that recording. I'm also sure he was punished for breaking out of his containment capsule."

Ratchet leaned back on his chair and propped his feet on the table. He sat there and thought for a while, glancing over at Abel occasionally who was playing with his right ear.

Ratchet stood up, walked over to Abel and sat down beside him, "Alright, now I want to know about a couple of other things," he glanced at Abel who had his full attention on Ratchet, "I heard music, extremely soothing music."

"Oh yeah, put you to sleep, didn't it?" Abel started to laugh.

"Well, yeah, but why did it do that?" Ratchet asked, a bit annoyed.

"It was meant to be a way to calm Caine down if he ever had a tantrum. It was also a good way to help me sleep if I ever had trouble trying to. It's designed so that only a Lombax can hear it," Abel replied happily.

"Well, that would explain why Clank was oblivious to it, but what about that valley that I saw before I passed out. What do you know about that?" Ratchet said as he leaned back a bit.

"That was our play area. It let us exercise and do whatever we wished. The place is only a hologram, but the room is designed to make the entire scene as realistic as possible," Abel smiled, "Everything from the temperature to the sensation caused by the grass is simulated by the room's AI."

Ratchet sighed a little, "Okay, I think I've got all that I need on that ship. So where did Caine and his master go?"

"That I'm not sure of. I don't even have a way to contact my master. I couldn't find my communicator while we were on the ship," Abel said, rolling his eyes.

There was a silence that lasted for a while as Ratchet sat there, seemingly lost in thought as Abel waited patiently. Ratchet scratched his neck a bit before he looked at Abel.

"So… is there anything else?" Abel finally asked.

"That… dream. Why did you come to me in it?" Ratchet asked as he leaned closer to Abel.

"Oh, well, to get to know you, duh!" Abel said with a wide smile, "I wanted to meet the hero of Solana and Bogon. I had been searching for you frequency for quite a while. Sure, I met others along the way, but it was yours that I wanted to find."

Ratchet shook his head and then sighed, "This is insane. It's hard to believe that one can actually meet someone in a dream like that," he tapped his fingers on the table, "One last question."

Abel looked up and nodded, "Okay."

"If I were to cover up those tattoos of yours and cut your hair like mine, you would be a blue-eyed version of me. True, your voice is not exactly like mine, but that's not important. What I want to know is why we look a like; are we related?"

Abel looked up at the ceiling and thought for a moment, "Caine is the only relation I have that's by blood, and even then that isn't saying much. I have no other relatives. As for our similar appearances, have you ever seen another Lombax?" Abel cocked his eyebrow and grinned at Ratchet.

Ratchet blinked at the question, then thought for a moment, "Umm…"

"EXACTLY!" Abel said with a excited tone, "Aside from Caine, you are the only other one I know of that's like me. Besides, how different can any of us truly look, unless the Lombax in question is a subspecies of the race, they will more then likely have the same striped fur. The only differences that I could even imagine would be eye color, height, physique, weight, and maybe hair style."

Ratchet was wide eyed as he listened to Abel. He finally stood up and looked at the door, "Well, I suppose you could be right. So it really is just a coincidence," he said with a sigh.

"Yep, just a coincidence," Abel replied as he too stood up, "Are we all done here?"

Ratchet tapped the table with his fingers before he glanced at Abel, "Yeah, we're done."

"Awesome," Abel did not waste any time leaving the room as Ratchet quickly followed behind.

"I suppose we can drop you off wherever you want," Ratchet finally said as they walked through the ship towards the command deck.

"Hmmm… No that won't be necessary," Abel said casually as they stepped onto the main elevator.

Ratchet blinked, stopping in his tracks, "Say what?"

"You heard me, I want to stay here!" Abel stated as he walked into onto the into the command room where the Q-Force were working until they heard Abel's reply.

The entire Q-Force was present, each at their respective posts aside from Captain Qwark who had been looking over Helga's shoulder to see what she was working on. Qwark was the first to speak, "Well, what's going on here?"

Ratchet stepped through the doorway and glared at Abel before looking towards Qwark, "Well, Abel wants to stay on this ship!"

Helga was quick to speak with her enormous arms crossed; "Now ve all know zat ees not possible. Zis ees a military Stahship!"

"Yeah dude, you can't just stay here. Civvies aren't allowed to live here without a reason," Skidd chimed in, "We all had to go through training!" he said with a smirk, not noticing that Ratchet had rolled his eyes at his comment.

"Well, what do I have to stay here," Abel growled, feeling rather annoyed.

"You could always sign up to be in the mili-" Al didn't finish his sentence when he noticed the way Ratchet was glaring at him, "… Um… maybe you could just show us your skills. You good at anything technical."

Ratchet was starting to get angry, "Now c'mon, Al, I don't wa-" his sentence was cut when he noticed Abel walk off towards Al's post.

Abel looked over the readings and smirked. He put his hands on the keyboard and began typing, much to Al's dismay, but quickly finished. He pointed a finger at the monitor, "Well?"

Al's jaw dropped, "I don't believe it! He fixed the bug in the our network, the ship is now up twenty-three percent in efficiency, and…" Al gasped.

Ratchet cocked an eyebrow and Abel smirked, "And?" they both said in unison.

There was sparkle in Al's eye, "He fixed my little cappuccino maker!" he said with jubilation as he pressed a few buttons and presented of the cup of coffee to everyone, causing Ratchet to roll his eyes again.

"Simply astounding!" Qwark said in amazement.

"Oh, he's got my vote," Al remarked and the others nodded.

"NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE!" Ratchet yelled, making the others jump, "This is a military starship of the and a fixed coffee maker is no reason to let someone join, no matter who it is! All crew members must be able to hold their own in a fight!" he growled, glaring at everyone.

Everyone was silent for a moment before Clank spoke, "Is everything okay, Ratchet?"

Ratchet blinked, realizing how upset he was. He took a deep breath, "Alright, I'm sorry, everyone. But would any of you honestly be fine with letting him join just because he fixed a few things?"

The others looked at each other and then at Abel, who was smirking.

"Do have something to share with us?" Ratchet asked.

Abel walked over to Ratchet and looked right into his eyes, "Combat, huh? I'll take on your challenge."

Ratchet's jaw nearly dropped and he took a step back before regaining his composure, "Alright, fine. If you can beat the VR training level with flying colors, you can be part of the crew."

Abel laughed, "Oh no, no, no. I think I should dissolve any doubts in my abilities… directly."

Ratchet's eyebrow cocked higher than ever, "What's that supposed to mean?"

A sly grin appeared on Abel's face as he leaned in and put his mouth up close to Ratchet's ear, "Care for a sparring match?"


	12. Foolish to Underestimate

They stood across from each other, two Lombaxes looking each other in the eyes. Both wore loose workout pants and nothing else. Ratchet was the first to stretch with Abel just giggling at the spectacle. They had chosen to spar in the combat practice center.

"Laugh all you want, I'm not gonna go easy on you," Ratchet remarked with a smirk as he watched Abel out of the corner of his eye.

Abel chuckled, stretching his arms as he did, "I'd certainly hope you come at with all you've got."

The intercom came to life and Al's voice boomed, "Alright, uploading environment 'CT8751-273'. Otherwise known as the 'Urban War Zone' area."

As Al finished his sentence, the area began to transform. The scene was a portrait of utter chaos; building burning, rubble everywhere, mangled remains of robots littered the streets, with screams and gunfire very audible in the distance.

"The rules are simple. Don't kill each other," Al said with a nervous laugh, Ready… and… BEGIN!"

Ratchet wasted no time in lunging towards Abel, his fists tightly balled and ready to land the first punch. He was on his opponent in less than a second and seemed to take Abel by surprise. He was relentless in his attack, sending a barrage of punches at Abel, who only seemed to be able to block then, though a few did manage to connect.

"GAH!" Abel cried as he was knocked onto the ground, with Ratchet quickly leaping on top of him and pinning his arms by his sides.

"Heh, ready to give up? I'd rather not have to fight you if I don't have to," Ratchet said with a smirk, "Besides, it's not like I have anything against you."

Abel smirked before he began laughing, "I'm sure you don't, but it's gonna take a lot more than this to beat me!" he stated as he threw his legs up in the air and wrapped them around Ratchet's neck from behind.

"GAH!" was all Ratchet could be out before Abel slammed his head onto the ground with his legs, leaving the Lombax with a massive headache and far less of advantage in the fight.

Abel was quick to release his opponent who immediately clenched his hands to his head in a futile attempt to ease the pain. Abel jumped up to his feet and dusted his pants off before glancing over Ratchet to make he hadn't busted his head open. "You'll be fine, I- WOAH!" was all he could say before having to jump out of the way Ratchet's attempt to kick him in the stomach.

Ratchet wasted no time getting his feet, but he kept his left hand on his head and right eye closed while gritting his teeth, "That was… pretty good, but it'll only work on me once!"

Abel snickered as he began to run towards a nearby building, "We'll see!"

Ratchet blinked before realizing how quickly Abel was moving away from him, "GET BACK HERE!" he cried out as he began chasing after his opponent.

No matter how quickly Ratchet ran, Abel was always several meters ahead. Abel would turn corners without warning, leaving Ratchet with the difficult task of not falling too far behind. It wasn't long before Ratchet lost track of the faster Lombax.

He stopped in his tracks, panting, "God… damn it… he's a… fast one…"

Ratchet looked up and closed his eyes, focusing on the sounds around him. He waited for what seemed like an eternity until his ears twitched at the sound of footstep near his position. Without hesitation, he bolted for the sound, turning a corner around some large debris. He was ready to pounce, but he found nothing.

"… The hell?" he said, scratching his head. He looked around for a moment, "Where the hell are y-" he was cut off by a rock falling next to him.

"OH, RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATCHEEEEEEEEEET!" Abel's voice came from above as he plummeted towards Ratchet.

"OH SHIT!" Ratchet yelled as he barely managed to leap out of the way as Abel landed with a loud crash.

When Abel hit the ground, the effect was unreal. The ground immediately cracked under the force of his impact, large pieces flying into the air as dust and dirt obscured the scene. Ratchet was almost sure that Abel had shattered the bones in his leg, but it proved to be an illusion as Abel was standing there, smirking at his shocked opponent as the dust settled.

"Something wrong?" Abel quipped as he giggled at Ratchet's expression.

Ratchet's only response was a gulp and the distinct thought that maybe he had bitten off more than he could chew as Abel lunged toward him. The moment the distance was closed between them, Abel threw a flurry of punches at the ill-prepared Ratchet who failed to block every one of them.

Ratchet flew back from the attack, out of breath and noticeable sore. He was silently hoping for a moment to catch his breath, unfortunately, Abel was quick to shatter any chance of rest. Ratchet was only able to catch a glimpse of Abel, leaping towards him in mid-air, before he had to dive out of the way as Abel slammed his right fist into the ground. He rolled to his feet and jumped towards Abel, who was wincing and rubbing the bloodied hand he had just attacked with, hoping to capitalize on the moment. He brought a fist into the air and swung it towards Abel's head, but missed as Abel jumped out of the way in time.

Ratchet cursed under his breath as he looked over his shoulder to see Abel spin in the air for a moment before he brought his leg around to try and kick Ratchet, using the momentum he gained from the spin to make it a potentially lethal strike. Ratchet squeaked as he dropped to his knees as fast he could, barely escaping the hit as Abel's leg passed over his head by mere inches.

"Son of a bi- GAH!" Ratchet yelled, as he had to quickly roll out of the way to dodge Abel as he brought his heel down on top of Ratchet.

Ratchet rolled onto his side, quickly getting on his back, but before he could rise up to move, Abel was sitting on top of him, pinning his arms to the ground.

Abel giggled, "So, do I need to continue?" he said as he smirked, looking directly into Ratchet's eyes.

Ratchet just lay there to catch his breath, only trying to struggle once, but finding it pointless when Abel's grip only tightened. "Fine… you win," a growl of annoyance very obvious in his voice.

Abel released his grip and, to Ratchet's surprise, flopped down next to him, panting. He looked at Ratchet and smiled, "That wasn't… as easy to do as… you might think. It really takes a… lot out of me. I hope… y… you aren't mad at me."

Ratchet closed his eyes and sighed, "Well, I… wasn't expecting to get my… ass handed to me like that. I… had no idea you could… fight like that," he tried to laugh, but groaned at the soreness in his chest as the urban environment faded.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Abel asked with a look of concern on his face.

"Oh, no… I'm just sore, that's all," Ratchet replied, rubbing his chest.

The intercom came to life and Al's voice once again boomed, "Oh my GOD! I can't believe what I just saw. Ratchet, it's amazing that you're still alive, because Abel was beating the hell out of you!"

Ratchet winced at the comment, "I'm kind of aware, Al," he growled.

Abel rolled over a bit so that he was on his stomach and facing Ratchet. He propped his head up with his hands and smiled, "So, can I join now?"

Ratchet seemed to think for a moment before Abel poked him in the chest, "Ah! Easy, easy! Alright, alright, you're in!"

"Awesome, I knew you'd say yes," Abel remarked with a grin.

"Al, did you hear that? We've got a new- CRAP, ABEL!" Ratchet cried out as Abel had laid his head on Ratchet's chest rather suddenly and was now snoring. "Well, crap. I guess he wasn't kidding about it taking a lot out of him," he said, laying his hand on Abel's head, brushing a finger of the tattoos on his left ear.

Al's voice chimed in, "I heard you, Ratchet. I'll let the others know. So where is he going to stay?"

Ratchet thought for a moment, "He's no ordinary person. He smashed through concrete with little problem aside from some cuts on his hand. I want to observe him closely. Convert Qwark's old section of my quarters into an area more suitable for him. I may have more questions for him yet."

"I'll tell them the crew to get started on it immediately. Should I send for a medical team to check you guys out?" Al asked.

"Nah, let me rest and then I'll take Abel to the infirmary myself," Ratchet replied, glancing at Abel's bloodied hand.

"Alright, I'm out," Al said and the intercom cut off with a click.

Ratchet laid his head on the ground and closed his eyes, silently kicking himself for being beaten so badly. He sat there thinking for a bit, but stopped when Abel began mumbling something incoherent in his sleep. He quietly laughed to himself before trying to get up without disturbing Abel's slumber.

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Hey, everyone. I'm just letting you guys know that I'm really curious about what you guys think of this chapter. I tried really hard to make an enjoyable, though short, fight scene without resorting to any pictures. If you thought it was crap or you actually enjoyed, let me know. I know people read this story so I'd like to see what the people think.

Also, I'd like to point out that Ratchet's intentions at the end of the chapter are purely innocent. Yes, I've said that the story contains yaoi, but I've got to build relationships between characters first xP


	13. Analysis

A note from Captain Random:

I'm so sorry that it has taken so long to get another chapter up, but I've been busy xU

Now that I'm off for the holidays I have a lot more time to do what is important to me; like working on this story and drawing.

For those who care, I have posted pics of some of the original characters in this story on DA. If you want to see them, go to http://captrandom. **but be warned that these pics can mean potential spoilers in ways that I won't say.**

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"He's rather loud," the doctor commented, glancing over at Abel who was snoring.

"So you noticed," Ratchet commented with a chuckle, rubbing his chest a bit.

"Must be common among Lombaxes, no?" the doctor remarked before turning on the backlight of the x-ray display. "Anyway, it is fairly obvious that you were the one on the wrong side of that fight. The damage may be minor, but your ribs were bruised and it looks like you suffered from a concussion," the doctor remarked, tapping the x-ray of Ratchet's skull.

Ratchet rubbed his head gently, "What about Abel?"

"What about him? He has a bit of bruising on his right hand, but the worst he suffered was from exhaustion," the doctor said.

"Wait a minute, bruising? His hand was covered in blood when I brought him in here," Ratchet said, confused.

"Are you sure that wasn't just your blood? He did put quite a few cuts on you," the doctor had a curious look on his face.

"No, that's impossible! His hand was like that after he punched a hole in the ground! HELL, he even landed on the ground hard enough with his feet to make it shatter around him!" Ratchet yelled, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Physically impossible; he does not have the type of body that could withstand that kind of force. If he had hit the ground in any of the ways you described, the bones in those limbs would have been shattered, not the ground around them," the doctor remarked as he cocked one of his mechanical eyebrows.

Ratchet started to growl, "I know what I saw, he was-"

"Look, there were no cuts on his hand or any other part of his body! I checked every inch of him for injury, just as I checked you. The only things I found odd were the facts that you were beaten up like that, without him sustaining any real injuries, and that he looks almost exactly like you," the doctor had a bit of a growl in his voice, "Now, I'm willing to write off that last part as just the fact that most of the few Lombaxes I've ever seen were very similar in appearance. Now, if you don't mind, I think we're all done here."

"FINE!" Ratchet yelled as he stomped out of the infirmary and made his way towards his quarters.

The doctor walked over to Abel and looked over him for a moment, "You certainly are interesting."

A computer behind him beeped and the doctor the glanced at it, "Oh good, the blood work is finished," he said as he walked over toward the machine to look at the printout.

He placed the sheet onto his clipboard and began looking over it. Every once in a while, he would tap on the sheet and mumble under his breath, "Hmmm, well he isn't related to Captain Ratchet, but a few of these genetic similarities are odd." He continued looking over the reading but stopped when he reached the reading on Abel's blood itself.

The doctor let out a gasp and the clipboard fell to the floor. He blinked for a moment before he shot his gaze at Abel, "… Simply amazing!"

He picked up the clipboard and examined it once more before walking over to Abel and looking over his right hand.

"I have to tell the Captain!" he exclaimed before turning to leave the room.

He only managed a single step before he felt a great figurative chill creep down his mechanical spine. He stopped dead in his tracks and slowly glanced back to see, a very much awake, Abel who was giving him a very dark look.

"The results of your examinations will remain between us," he said to the doctor with a growl, "I do not want anything to push away Ratchet or the others…" His expression suddenly became sinister, "Speak one word of you findings and I'll make sure that it's your last…"


	14. Oblivious by Nature

A note from Captain Random: I'M ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111!!!ONE!!1!

I'm sorry the last chapter was so short, but I'm trying to make up for it xU

I'm hoping that this chapter will make you all laugh a little.

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It had been three months since Abel became a part of the Starship Phoenix's crew. He quickly became a very popular member of the team. Always very friendly towards everyone, he would acknowledge everyone by first name as he passed them by in the hallways, regardless of their rank; much to Ratchet's dismay.

Abel never failed to amaze the rest of the crew with his mannerisms or abilities. He could hold his own at Chess with Clank, kicked Ratchet's ass each and every time they spared, could give Helga a run for her money on the VR fitness course, and even hold a conversation with Al for hours on end; an achievement that left a few other wondering if Abel was deserving of a medal.

Abel was indeed an oddball. He was certainly highly intelligent, but at times he exhibited a serious lack of common sense, rather, he was highly oblivious to a few rather common things.

Despite a short-lived protest from Ratchet, Abel quickly began assisting him on missions and battles, but one mission in particular that me his obliviousness most apparent.

It was a hostage situation; a group of trigger-happy punks had decided to get some easy cash by trying to rob the First Planetary Bank of Metropolis with a heavy arsenal of blasters and missile pods as well as a highly potent bomb. Of course, dealing with the robbers was an easy task, as Ratchet and Able both were able to quickly incapacitate all of them. The real problem was that their leader was the least sane of the bunch, and refused to relinquish the abort code for the bomb that he activated moments before being subdued.

Ratchet was quick to hold his blaster to the maniac's right temple and demand the code, but the leader only spat in his face, resulting in a right hook from a rather furious Ratchet.

With the clock ticking, Ratchet finally gave up and brought up the CommLink to the Rangers. "Alright, guys… This psycho isn't talking," Ratchet said with a growl as the leader taunted him in the background, "I want everyone eva-"

"Wait," Abel said suddenly, stepping out of the shadows and walking up to the leader who easily stood a foot over him to glance over him, "I have an idea," he said with a mischievous grin.

The leader laughed, "There isn't a damn thing you can d- GAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

Ratchet went wide-eyed at what Abel had done. Without warning he had slammed an open-handed palm into the leader's crotch and now had a vice-like grip on it.

"Give me the code, or I'll crack you like a walnut," Abel remarked with a disturbingly innocent tone before giving the helpless crook a slight twist that resulted in another helpless scream.

Ratchet ran to Able, and tried to get him to let go, "ABEL, ABEL! Wait, I don't think this is a good-"

There was a slight crunching noise and the leader roared in pain.

"Oops… guess I had too tight of a grip," said Abel, being very nonchalant as he looked down at the thug who had fallen to the floor and was howling, "Alright, that was a warning… now the code, please, or I'll finish castrating you."

The thug definitely heard these words, as he was quick to try and form a sentence, "GAH! 4…315… 6702! PLEASE! DON'T DO HURT M-ME ANYMORE!"

One disarmed bomb and hospitalized thug leader later, Ratchet was shaking his head at a grinning Abel.

"You didn't have to crush one to get him to talk, you know," Ratchet finally said, a bit of laughter could be heard in his voice.

"Well… I didn't mean to go that far!" Abel exclaimed, "It was an accident!"

"How exactly do you accidentally crush someone's nuts with your bare hands? I know you're strong, but damn. Use a little common sense and stop squeezing before you hear a pop next time," Ratchet replied, having a hard time not laughing.

Abel just had a hurt look on his face before it contorted into anger. He quickly spun around and stomped off.

Ratchet was quick to realize he had messed up and ran after Abel, finally finding him sitting under a tree in a nearby park.

"Go away…" Abel said with a cold tone.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me I hurt your feelings," Ratchet remarked, but had to quickly dodge a rock aimed at his head.

"Jerk… I don't care for your company right now, LEAVE!" Abel said with an uncharacteristic snarl in his voice with that last word.

"Okay, wait a minute," Ratchet said, his arms up to surrender, "I'm sorry I was so blunt about the common sense thing. I guess I never really covered interrogation 101 with you," Ratchet continued, cautiously sitting next to Abel, who instinctively shifted his body away from Ratchet, "but to be fair, do you think your reaction was the best answer?"

Abel sat there for a while and thought, "Fine…"

"Cool, now that we've reached an agreement, can we please head back?" Ratchet asked with a smile.

"Nah, I don't really care to," Abel replied, keeping himself facing slightly away from Ratchet.

Ratchet started to get agitated, "Alright, look, I'm trying to be nice, but in case you didn't get the hint, we're STILL on duty."

Abel's ears drooped a bit and he curled up into a ball, wrapping his arms around his legs and burying his face in his knees. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, he words slightly muffled, but still understandable.

It was Ratchet's turn to droop his ears, but he was quick to wrap an arm around Abel's shoulders. "Okay, no need to sulk. I didn't mean to upset you more. Now can we please go back?"

Abel sighed, and then looked up, "Yeah, let's go…"

Ratchet stood and helped Abel up, before turning around to walk back to where the rangers were. He only managed a few steps before he realized Abel wasn't following him. He heard a low whimper before he turned around to see Abel, who was standing completely still in a rather awkward stance.

"Umm… Abel?" he said, confused. It took him a moment to realize that Abel's eyes were locked onto the tip of his nose and he looked terrified. Ratchet had to squint his eyes to see what Abel was looking at, and he almost fell over laughing when he realized what it was.

Abel's eyes were starting to water, "R-Ratchet… get... this thing.. off of me!" panic very apparent in his voice, "What the hell is it?!"

Ratchet almost died from laughter, "That would be a butterfly," he replied, before walking up to Abel and gently shooing the butterfly away, eliciting a sigh of relief from Abel.

"That was NOT a butterfly! It was pink!" Abel cried out, frantically wiping his nose.

"Umm… okay… That's interesting logic right there, Abel," Ratchet remarked with a smirk. "Butterflies do come in different colors… you do know that, right?"

Ratchet didn't get the answer he had expected. Abel eyes went wide as if he had just won the lottery and his hands gripped Ratchet's shoulders, "Are you serious?"

"Ummm…. Yeah," Ratchet replied with a cocked eyebrow.

"M-more colors than blue?!" Abel's questions and body language were unbelievably child-like.

Ratchet was dumbstruck, "… yeah."

"Yellow?"

"Yeah."

"Purple?!"

"…Yes…"

"GREEN?!"

"…Mmmhmm."

Abel's eyes only grew wider, but then he smirked, cocked his head, and squinted his eyes, "Raaaaaaaaainbow?" he said, dragging the word out as if to make it funny.

Ratchet was about to say yes, but he caught himself "Actually… no."

"Well, that sucks," Abel said bluntly, his expression returning to normal before walking off towards where the rangers were posted.

Ratchet just looked at the other Lombax with a stunned expression before finally regained his composure. He laughed a little to himself, "…Oblivious, much?"

Abel shot a glare back at Ratchet, "What was that?"

Ratchet threw his arms up, "Oh nothing, nothing!"

"Good, now let's go," he said, his expression returned to normal, "we still need to find out were those goons got those weapons from with some interrogating!" Abel finished with a malicious grin.

Ratchet jumped and ran after Abel, who was cracking his knuckles, "Nonononono! I don't think that's a good idea!!!"


	15. A Wonderful Lack of Modesty

A note from Captain Random: YES, I IS POSTING MORE OFTEN xD

Also, I didn't realize that the link to the gallery with character art was incomplete. Go to http://captrandom. but remember that it may contain spoilers.

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Abel turned the nozzle for the shower and stream of water ceased immediately. He shook himself a bit before finally drying off. He sighed a bit, enjoying feeling clean, before he stepped out of the shower area and began walking to his quarters.

He was oblivious to those who passed by him, as he was had his eyes closed and was listening to music in his mind. He had a bit of a sway in his step, as he would move to the mental beat. All the while, those who saw him would stare with eyes wide.

He stopped without opening his eyes and turned down the corridor to his and Ratchet's room, still listening to the music in his head. He managed to get about halfway through the corridor before the door to the VR room opened.

A ranger fell through the door and was about to land on Abel, "WATCH OU-"

His scream halted when he realized he wasn't falling anymore, though Abel was still under him, his eyes still closed, his body still moving to the beat of the music only he could hear. The ranger looked down at his chest to see what had stopped him and was stunned.

Abel hand had moved too fast for the ranger to realize what he done until now. He was holding the ranger up with just an index finger and he didn't look like he had put any effort into it.

Without opening his eyes, he pushed his finger and the ranger was back in the VR room and on his feet. Abel began walking again as the grateful ranger poked his head through the doorway.

"Thank you, sir! I'm sorry I almo-" the ranger suddenly realized something odd about Abel, "Hey, why are you-"

The door shut behind Abel, cutting off the ranger.

Abel opened his eyes finally and smiled. He walked up to the couch and leaped over the back, landing gently on the seat. He propped his legs on the table and crossed them before picking up the remote and turning on the holo-vid.

--------------------------------------

Ratchet stepped out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth; he had familiar laughter.

"Abel is that you?" he said.

"Yeah, I'm just watching some sitcom," Abel answered, now covered up in a blanket, "the guy in the blue shirt just proposed to his girlfriend, but the son from he first marriage found the ring earlier and swapped it for a one of those little prank smoke bombs!"

BOOM! All that could be seen on the screen was black smoke and the sound of a very angry girlfriend having a tantrum wall all that could be heard.

Abel laughter was amazingly able to drown out the holo-vid and he only stopped laughing when he changed the channel. He flipped through channels with lightning speed until he suddenly stopped.

"Oooooooo! Metalmageddon! I love this show, it's so funny!" Abel yelled with jubilation.

Ratchet was still brushing his teeth as he watched, "A cartoon? Never seen it. What's it about?"

"Oh it's awesome, it's about this band called DethWok that is loved by everyone to the point of dying for them. There are five members: Nathan Boom, Loki Warfang, Bill Killhead, Blizgaar Blizgelf, and Cucumber. They know everything about being brutal and metal, but they don't know a thing about anything else."

"Wow, you watch some neurotic things, Abel," Ratchet said with a laugh.

"But it's funny!" Abel exclaimed.

"Most stupid things are," Ratchet said with a smirk.

"You're stupid," Abel retorted, eliciting a muffled laugh from Ratchet.

"And you're childish," Ratchet said, maintaining his smirk.

Abel shot up out of his seat with his arms on his hips; the blanket falling to his feet, as Ratchet's face contorted to a stunned expression.

"Who are you calling childish, asshole?!" Abel stated with an annoyed expression.

Ratchet didn't say anything, he just stared at Abel.

"What? Is something on me?" Abel asked with a growl.

Ratchet cocked an eyebrow, "Hardly… didn't you go take a shower just a little while ago?"

"Umm, yeah… then I came in here and sat down on the couch," Abel replied, becoming more agitated.

"So… where's your towel?" Ratchet finally asked.

"In the shower area… why?" Abel said, now more curious than upset.

"Are you telling me you walked all the way from the shower area to this room… without anything on?!" Ratchet was about to faint.

Abel stood there for a minute, "… Is that a problem?"

Ratchet could help but spit out toothpaste at that. He took moment to catch his breath, "OH MY GOD! Are you serious?!" he cried out.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Abel asked innocently.

Ratchet was about to say something, but then he just wiped his mouth and sat down on the couch. He was quiet for a minute before he suddenly started laughing uncontrollably.

Abel sat next to Ratchet and shook him, "Whaaaaaaat?! What's so funny?!"

Ratchet finally stopped laughing and wiped the tears from his eyes, "I just thought about how bad you probably freaked out everyone who saw you. That had to be priceless!"

"I wouldn't know, I wasn't paying attention…" Abel finally replied.

Ratchet was about to reply when the intercom came to life and Clank's voice could be heard, "Ratchet, we need you to come to the bridge immediately!"

"Oh cool, a mission!" Abel hopped over the couch and ran to the door.

Ratchet blinked, "ABEL, WAIT!"

Abel stopped and slid across the floor a bit on his feet before he turned around, "What, what happened?"

"Don't you think might want to… you know… put on some boxers at least, before you end up showing your equipment to everyone… again? I'm not bothered by nudity, but don't you think others might freak out if you just showed up to the bridge like that?"

Abel thought for a moment, "But I don't like boxers!"

Ratchet brought his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of nose under his brow and shook his head, "Then just go commando like always!"

Abel tilted his head, a bit confused, "Going commando?"

Ratchet sighed deeply.


	16. Red

A bit from Captain Random:

PHEW! Sorry it took me so long to actually get this up, but crap have I been busy. Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that I apologize for the lateness xU

Enjoy

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"RATCHET, GET UP HERE, NOW!" Clank yelled on the intercom in an uncharacteristically loud voice.

Both Ratchet and Abel burst through the door of the bridge, panting.

"Calm… down, Clank! We're here!" Ratchet said, trying to catch his breath; he noticed a few rangers and others giving Abel odd looks before he realized why, "It's alright guys, he won't do that again," he said as he looked back to Abel, who was adjusting his usual white shirt and pants. "Right, Abel?" he said.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Abel replied.

"So what's the problem, Clank?" Ratchet said as he looked at Clank.

Clank just glared at him for a bit before finally speaking, "There has been a terrorist attack in Metropolis!"

"What?! What happened?" Ratchet said.

"We don't know. All we received was a garbled message from the law enforcement officials there, saying that City Hall was under attack. Unfortunately, the message was cut off before we could find out who or what was attacking. We can't get in contact with anyone on Metropolis; it's like the signals were suddenly jammed" Clank said.

Ratchet thought for a moment before he looked up, "Alright, Clank, you and Abel are coming with me. We'll take ten rangers with us and have the rest as back-up if need be. Our first priority is to save any hostages. If Sasha and her father are there, they are a priority. If that is can't be accomplished, then we immediately do whatever it takes to eliminate any threats."

Everyone around him nodded before running to get ready for the mission.

--------------------------------------------

Ratchet and the others arrived quickly and positioned themselves around City Hall; all armored and armed.

Abel fidgeted a bit in his armor before noting the area, "Where are the cops? I see vehicles but no one to drive th- DAMNIT THIS THING IS ITCHY!"

"Deal with it, if we finish this quickly you can take it off. As for the cops, I have no idea, maybe they ran away. Let's see if we can 'negotiate'," Ratchet said as he brought a megaphone to his mouth, "Attention terrorists, let the hostages go and come out with your hands up!"

"Great negotiating…" Abel said as he rolled his eyes.

"I concur," Clank said.

"Well, it's not like they're gonna have much of a choice," Ratchet said with a smirk.

Everything was quiet for a while and Ratchet was getting annoyed.

He brought the megaphone back up, "Attention terrorist, either let the hostages go or we will-"

CRASH!

A window on the tenth floor shattered as a body was thrown from it, hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

"OH MY GOD!" cried several rangers as Ratchet with Clank on his back, Abel, and the few rangers who weren't in total shock rushed towards the victim.

Before they ever reached the body, it was obvious that he was dead. He was a cazare, possible a higher up judging by his expensive suit that, like his body, was covered in rather large stab wounds. There was, however, no blood flowing out of him and the only blood present was what had stained his clothes.

"Holy shit, was he bled dry?!" Ratchet felt his stomach turn a bit, "Alright, FUCK negotiating! If they did this to a hostage, they won't hesitate to kill everyone else. Rush in there, get anyone out that you can, and if you see any hostiles, shoot first and ask questions later!"

"Ratchet, I saw a cloaked figure standing in the window for just a moment after the victim was thrown," Abel said, looking up at the broken window.

"Alright, men, you have your description. See any cloaked figures or suspicious looking characters and you are to shoot on site," Ratchet commanded as they rushed to the door and flattened themselves against the walls beside it. Ratchet held three fingers up, "On three… one… two," he dropped the last finger and, with a swift kick from one of the rangers, the door flew open; leaving the a few rangers as well as Ratchet and Clank in shock.

The lobby was a scene of carnage. Blood was the color of the walls and bits and pieces of body tissue made up its decor. Ratchet couldn't help but get a sense of déjà vu amidst his shock and disgust.

There were few bodies there were in one piece, but even then, there necks had been twisted almost completely around. Agony was the common expression for every victim who still had a face that could be read without a very close inspection.

Ratchet suddenly realized a terrifying truth when he noticed the clothing a few of the victims, "The bastards even slaughtered the cops!"

This caused several rangers to gasp.

"Alright, come on! We have to save anyone that we can!" Ratchet yelled as he rushed for the stairs to the next floor.

-----------------------------------------------

They checked several floors, but each floor only turned up more bodies or nothing at all.

Ratchet was quickly becoming distraught and it was apparent.

"Don't worry, Ratchet, we'll find Sasha," Clank said, trying to comfort Ratchet.

"I know we will," Ratchet growled as he rushed up the next flight of stairs with Abel right behind him.

Ratchet kicked down the door and ran through. He looked around quickly, but stopped when he heard some heavy breathing close-by.

"Who's there?! Identify yourself!" Ratchet yelled.

There was a shuffling before a cloaked figure suddenly burst forth from down the hallway and ran towards Ratchet, making a noise much like a muffled scream.

"What the?" Ratchet heard the noise coming from the cloaked figure and suddenly had a terrifying thought. "WAIT, I-"

A ranger suddenly jumped beside Ratchet, "Watch out, Captain!" he yelled before firing at the figure.

"NO, WAIT!" Ratchet yelled, but it was too late.

The cloaked figure stumbled before falling to his knees and then falling to the ground face first… dead.

Ratchet ran to the figure and the ranger followed as he kneeled over the corpse. The rest of the rangers and Abel were quick to find them.

"Ratchet, I don't understand why you tried to stop the ranger from firing on the assailant," Clank said as Ratchet looked over the body beneath him.

Abel smirked, "So now we have one less terrorist to worry about, eh?"

Ratchet winced, "Somehow, I don't think so," he said before pulling back the hood of the dead man, eliciting a curse from Ratchet and a gasp from all the rest. "DAMMIT! I knew something was wrong!"

The man was a cazare dressed in a business suit, though it had be torn and stained with sweat and blood in several places. His mouth had be sewn shut and he had been blindfolded.

"So wait a minute, does this mean that the terrorist group are a bunch of government workers?" a ranger asked, puzzled.

Ratchet growled, "No…" He revealed the man's hands, which were bound together tightly with wire. "It means that he was a-"

There was a sound of metal piercing metal as a ranger fell over on his back, a very severe looking throwing knife protruding from his forehead. Everyone immediately moved into a defensive stance to face the direction that the blade came from as a figure, hidden by the shadows, began to walk out of the stairway and into view from the very end of the hallway.

His voice was cold and piercing, "It means that that now dead ranger was so kind as to kill that poor man for me!" He stopped in his tracks, his body still hidden in the shadows.

Ratchet's fur stood on end when he heard the voice, but he couldn't place his finger on where he had heard it before. He was about to speak when he heard a faint thud behind him, his head immediately turning to see Abel who had falling on his backside and was staring, wide-eyed with terror, at the figure before them.

Abel tried to speak, his hand out and shaking violently as he pointed at the silhouette, "C… C… Ca…"

Ratchet suddenly felt his body go numb as he realized what Abel was trying to say. The rest of the rangers cried out in shock as the all jumped back away from Ratchet who immediately turned his head back towards the cause of Abel's fear, only to be looking directly into the abdomen of a Lombax now looming over him with a malicious grin.

Ratchet fell back on his rear and immediately began to push himself away as he drew his weapon and pointed it at the man before him.

Abel's voice was low, almost a squeak, "Ca… CAINE!!!"

The very Lombax who Ratchet, Clank, and Abel had witnessed slaughtering several helpless scientists on the security recording so long ago now stood before them, his sinister eyes and menacing red marking on his partially armor-clad and blood-soaked body made him more frightful than ever. Caine licked his lips, showing sharp fangs before he threw his head back and howled with a psychotic laughter that seemed to chill the air around them.

He looked back down at Ratchet and smirked, "Let's have a little fun. What do you say to that, Progenitor?"


	17. Brotherly Love

A bit from Captain Random:

Hola, everbody. I'm happy to see that this entire story has nearly made the 1k mark and I'm glad to see that I'm getting reviews though it is still not as many as I would like x.x

Anyway, the chapter after this one is done as well and I'll post it in a bit.

I would highly appreciate any reviews of this and the next chapter, because I'm very nervous that I did not do them as well as I could have. Whether you agree or not, please tell me

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Crimson eyes observed each person before them. They saw every terrified ranger's shaky grip on their weapons, Abel's wide-eyed expression of shock, and even Ratchet's unmistakable look of fear, confusion, and anger in his eyes.

"Well?" Caine said with a dark tone, "I'm waiting…"

"You're a sick bastard!" Ratchet yelled, never taking his aim off of Caine. "You killed all of those people, you used the poor man as a decoy… and I can only assume that you're the reason that man that was thrown out of the window was bled dry…"

The rest of the rangers tensed up at that.

Ratchet took a moment to note the places on Caine's body where blood had been smeared. Despite the fact that Caine was covered in blood, one part stood out the most.

Clank thought for a moment, then spoke, "Ratchet, you don't think that he…"

"You drank his blood, didn't you?!" Ratchet yelled with a disgusted tone, with every ranger instinctively taking a step back upon hearing this.

Caine started to chuckle before he glared at Ratchet and ran his tongue over his muzzle, "Delicious…"

Ratchet felt his stomach turn once more.

Caine smirked, "Perhaps it would be wise of you to get off of your ass and face me, Progenitor," his gaze darted towards Abel, "that includes you, little brother."

Ratchet got to his feet, never lowering his weapon, "Why the fuck do you keep calling me 'Progenitor'?! The hell does that even mean?"

Caine's eyes brightened at this, his mouth slowly forming into a large, disturbing grin. He looked over Ratchet for a moment and then to Abel, who had risen to his feet as well; his face hinting that he had something to say, but not sure how to say it.

"My dear brother, Abel," Caine's voice abundant with an artificially compassionate tone, "I've known that you have lived with Proge-" he cocked his brow when he saw the look on Ratchet's face " …oh fine… since you've lived with 'Ratchet', I would assume you would have shared with him quite a bit of information!"

Abel quaked, "SHUT UP, CAINE!"

"SHUT UP, CAINE!" Caine replied with a rather mocking tone. "Heh, is that all you've got? I see that I was correct in assuming you had kept secrets from you new 'friends'."

"Ratchet, I have a very bad feeling about this," Clank said.

Ratchet looked at Caine then back at Abel, "What the hell is he going on about?"

Abel was looking around frantically, "I… I…"

Caine began to laugh hysterically, but was quick to snap back into his composure, "He probably didn't want anyone to know what kind of a freak of nature he is… just like me!" His laughing erupted once more with a cruel echo finding its way through the building.

Abel's hand flew to his ears to cover them, his eyes clenched shut, "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!"

Caine ignored the demand and pointed his right index finger directly at Abel, "Surely you have all noticed his strength, his speed, his intelligence… his blood."

Abel wasn't able to block out Caine's voice; his head shooting up, eyes wide, tears forming, as he dropped to his knees.

"Ahhh, so he hasn't said anything in regards to that," Caine grinned. "Now, Abel, if you won't tell your friends important things about yourself, then I'll simply have to show them so that they can have an opportunity to alienate you when they see what you really are."

Ratchet was completely confused, he had his hands around Abel's shoulders, trying to snap him out of his current state, "Abel, what the hell is he talking abou-"

There was a flash of red light. Before Ratchet could turn to see what it was, before the rest of the rangers could scream, Abel was torn from Ratchet's grip and forced back; Caine slammed him into the wall behind them, grinning maniacally as Abel let out a deafening scream.

It had happened so fast. Ratchet could only stand there, his mind in complete disarray. He finally reacted when Caine stepped aside to reveal what he had done, pulling away a sword far too large to be believable. A sadistic smile on his face growing larger by the second, while Abel's force contorted with agony, as Ratchet rushed towards them.


	18. The Undying

Ratchet roared with anger as he charged towards Caine, squeezing off a shot of his blaster at Caine's head.

"Too easy," Caine muttered as he dodged the shot in a blur of motion.

Abel stood there for a moment, blood quickly staining most of his shirt, his legs finally giving out as he fell to the ground face-first. Ratchet flew to his side and managed to catch him, turning him over to see eyes that held no life.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAABEL!" Ratchet screamed, shaking his friend's lifeless body frantically, checking his pulse several times, but to no avail. "FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!" Ratchet forced himself to look at Caine, who was laughing hysterically, his eyes filled to the brim with the purest form of hatred he had ever felt for anyone as his vision began to be blurred by rage and tears, "YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED HIM! HE WAS YOUR BROTHER! HE WAS ONLY OTHER LOMBAX I EVER KNEW!"

Caine just continued to laugh at the scene before him. He began to walk to the side a bit, never ceasing his mirth, as he ran his hands across the wall and flipped on the lights.

The floor was illuminated with light and ever detail of carnage, discord, and destruction. Caine's featured were fully visible now. His hair tied in braids with pale red fabric to further bind each braid.

His armor was a dark shade of gray. The armor consisted of a breastplate, a left shoulder plating that curved out into a large spike. On his left hand was a metal glove with the finger tips ending in sharp claws; the left side of his hand had a sort of guard over it that stopped before it began to cover his palm. His enter right arm underneath his shoulder was covered in a gauntlet of sorts with a spike protruding out from the elbow. From his kneecaps and below, he had armored greaves.

Underneath the armor was a short shirt that cut off above his abdomen; likely only done to show off his markings and muscular featured. He wore very loose pants, the legs tucked into his greaves. The belt he wore was odd, it had a few marking on it and the center was a circle with an insignia on it that could not be clearly viewed from his position. The belt seemed to hold in a place a sort of tattered, pale red skirt that was creepy to the eyes.

Caine smirked at Ratchet, "Why so serious?"

Ratchet was holding Abel tightly, bawling and baring his fangs at the same time.

"Not even taking what is around you into consideration, eh?" Caine remarked, turning around a moment to look out the window behind him.

Ratchet shot a hellish glare at the rangers around him, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR?! KILL THAT FUCKER!"

Immediately, the other rangers snapped out of there shock and opened fire.

Caine giggled as he moved easily out of the way of each shot fired at him, "Is this really all that you've go-"

BANG!

Caine stumbled a bit, blood and flesh splattering against the window behind him, a massive hole his abdomen.

BANG! BANG!

One shot hit his right leg, another to his left shoulder. Ratchet continued firing at Caine with his blaster as he closed the gap between himself and his enemy; unsuppressed fury plainly visible in his eyes.

"ALL OF YOU, FIRE!" Ratchet roared.

There was a hail of bullets, each landing their mark aside from the few that were deflected by Caine's armor. Each shot tearing more and more of his form away until the blasts stopped and Ratchet was standing, glaring, before the twitching, bloody, decimated shadow of Caine's former self. As Caine began to fall forward, Ratchet slammed his foot into Caine's chest with a bone-shattering kick, sending the villain flying back and crashing through the already severely damaged window.

Ratchet ran up to the window and wasted no time bringing out his Anti-Matter Rifle. Without hesitation he aimed at the falling body.

BANG!

The shot accelerated the body and he crashed into the ground below, a gaping hole now where his heart had been.

The rifle fell to the ground with a clack and Ratchet turned around, somewhat off balance as he walked back towards the rest of the rangers, his eyes completely drained of life.

"Good… work, sir… I… umm… am sorry about Ab-" the ranger noticed something odd, " Sir… what is that you?"

Ratchet glared at him, "What the fuck do you think it is?" his voice carried no emotion with it. It was completely hollow. "You know… I'm not surprised that none of you know what blood looks like… Hell, you all either run from battle or stare at it and never get involved, so of course its not something I would expect you to recognize," this time his voice was cruel.

"Ratchet, that wasn't necessary," Clank said, deeply worried.

None of the rangers spoke for a bit, until one finally had to speak, "Sir, I don't think blood is supposed to be black…"

Ratchet stopped, "What?" he glanced down at his armor.

He was covered in a black liquid. There was blood on him, but it was only the little bit that had come from Caine when he kicked him out the window. Suddenly, Ratchet heard a shuffling noise coming from where Abel's body lay. They all went wide-eyed and screamed.

Abel was now standing there, his back to the group, and breathing heavily. He stood over a puddle, but it wasn't red. The stain that ran down his shirt and pants from his wound matched the black liquid. He looked up and slowly turned towards the terrified group staring at him, his hand over his stomach to cover his wound. He coughed and then looked up, removing his hand from his stomach, and he smiled weakly.

Ratchet fell to his knees, "Abel… h… h… how?"

Abel took a moment to steady his breathing before he began to take off his shirt. The others gasped as they witness his wound healed itself completely.

A ranger spoke up, "Amazing!"

Clank was baffled, "How is this even possible?"

Abel coughed again, "Nano… tech… in my blood…" he said weakly as he kneeled down and placed the tips of his fingers into the puddle of black blood.

Almost instantly, the black in the blood was drawn into Abel's fingertips until all that was left was red. He rose to his feet once more.

Ratchet got up as well and began to walk towards Abel, who began to back away, his expression suddenly becoming that of fear. Suddenly, Ratchet rushed to Abel and, to Abel's, Clanks, and the rangers' surprise, embraced him.

"I thought you were dead, I thought you were dead!" Ratchet said hysterically, "I thought that son of a bitch had killed the only other Lombax I ever knew… the only one that I ever had as a friend!" He was on the brink of tears.

Abel was taken aback by this, "What? You… you don't think I'm a… freak?!"

Ratchet hugged him tighter, "Why the hell would I think that?!"

"Yes, Abel, none of us would hate you for something like that," Clank said.

Abel looked at Ratchet, then to the rangers who all nodded in agreement, then back to Ratchet, "I… I don't know what to say…"

There was clapping noise coming from behind them.

They all turned to look back and Ratchet's fur stood on end.

Caine stood there, his body badly damaged, muscle and bone exposed in various places, giving him the appearance of a zombie. He was clapping his hands in a mocking applause, his face contorted into a sickening smile thanks to the damage done by the bullets.

"Don't you just love these overly fruity friendship moments! The way you two act, I might end up assuming you two are lovers!" Caine howled with laughter as he form began to regenerate like Abel had.

"I… obliterated your… h- heart!" Ratchet cried.

"Did you honestly believe that it would be that easy?" Caine said with a chuckle, his heart visibly reforming as his regeneration neared completion.

Abel grabbed Ratchet's shoulder, "We need to leave here, NOW! We can't fight him in this confined space!"

Caine heard this and his expression became filled with rage, "OH NO, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE NOW!" He held his hand out to each side, "PROTOCOL 666-1: WEAPON: CHAOTIC BLISS – DUAL MODE!"

Red electricity shot out and coarsed around Caine as a bright red light flashed. As the light died, Caine stood there with two identical versions of the same oversized blade he had used against Abel, one in each hand. His wounds now fully healed.

"NOW THAT ALL THE CARDS ARE ON THE TABLE, I'M NOT LETTING ANY OF YOU LEAVE!" Caine lowered himself into a striking stance, "LET'S PLAY A LITTLE GAME!" With that, he flew at the his adversaries, his swords ready to bathe in blood, laughing as those before him readied themselves.


	19. Brother's Quarrel

It's been a while, hasn't it? xD

Sorry it's taken so long to get these out x.x I've been REALLY busy with school xU

Anyway, I hope these next few chapters I upload will be enough for a little while xD

* * *

Ratchet and Abel both lunged in opposite direction as he Caine slammed into the ground where they had stood

Ratchet and Abel both lunged in opposite direction as Caine slammed into the ground where they had stood. The rangers turned and opened fire, but failed to do any damage as Caine deflected the shots with his blades.

Ratchet wasted no time in giving orders, "SURROUND HIM AND FIRE!" drawing his own weapon and facing the killer Lombax.

The rangers moved into position around a smirking Caine, who lowered his defense and began to laugh.

"Is that your plan? Surround and destroy?" Caine shot a quick glance at each adversary around him.

Without wasting a second, a hail of bullets flew at Caine, who, with unbelievable speed, deflected each shot until he standing in a circle of shells. He cracked his neck a few times before he took a step forward, causing the rangers before him to quickly back away as those behind him cautiously kept the same distance between them. They were ready to fire again when Caine vanished.

"The hell?!" a ranger yelled, "Where'd he g-"

SLAM!

The ranger, who had been directly in front of Caine, hit the ground hard, his back crushed under the force of Caine slamming his feet into him.

Ratchet leapt back, squeezing off two shots that were deflected as Caine brought his sword high above his head.

"KILL HIM!" another ranger cried as he squeezed the trigger, his life ending moments later when Caine sliced him vertically in two.

"Shit, shit, SHIT!" Ratchet growled, starting to panic as he saw his men being ripped to shreds.

Every enemy he had ever faced followed some sort of pattern, had some kind of motive, never strayed from a specific method or tactic. This Lombax, Caine, however, was different. Not only was he ripping apart every ranger that stood in his way, but he was being completely random in his kills. He would even go so far as to halt his deathblow on one victim to lunge at another on but a whim.

"Give me a gun," commanded Abel.

"W- what?" This took Ratchet aback.

"MOVE!" Abel shoved Ratchet out of the way, snatching the blaster out of his right hand and immediately firing a shot at Caine.

Caine dropped the body that was limp his hand to swing right blade around and deflect the shot, but he suddenly heard the same sound coming from behind. He smirked as he brought up his other blade to deflect that same shot immediately.

SHOOM!

Blood shot out and Caine howled in surprise and pain as the top of his right ear was blown off by the round.

"GOD DAMN IT!" Caine roared he dropped his right sword to clench his damaged ear, glaring at the one before him.

Abel stood there, the barrel of his blaster still smoking, his expression rather pained as he stared at his angered sibling, "Caine… brother, please stop this! I don't want anymore bloodshed!"

Caine stood straight up, the few rangers left around him backing up immediately, as he glared at his pleading brother, "You dare to harm this perfect body of mine?! YOU DARE TO SCAR THESE BEAUTIFUL EARS?!"

His ear had already healed itself as he let the other blade fall to the ground; an audible gulp came from Abel.

"I think I'm going to have a little fun with you, dear brother. I think I'm going to give you a beating you so desperately need," Caine said with a snarl before laughing.

He shifted his stance for only a moment before he shot forward and was on Abel, sending a flurry of punches at the Lombax.

All Abel could do was go on the defensive; every punch he blocked sent waves of pain through his arms. Every punch that landed did far more damage and it was apparent in his expression. He would wince with every block and cry out when a punch was successful.

Ratchet could not and would not stand for this. He ran forward with his wrench ready and swung hard at Caine's head.

WAM!

Ratchet flew back, the wind completely knocked out of him and excruciating pain coursing through his chest. Caine had delivered a swift back kick without ever taking his attention off Abel. Ratchet landed hard, knocking Clank off his back as the both rolled and came to a sudden stop against the wall.

Abel wanted to yell out to Ratchet and know if he was okay, but he had no time. Caine was forcing him back with each punch, closer and closer to the broken windows he himself had been blasted out of him. Abel tried to change the direction he was going, but it gave Caine the opening he needed.

A quick jab flew out and hit Abel right on the forehead, causing his defense to shatter and lose his balance. Without hesitation, Caine brought his hands back and then threw them forward at Abel, slamming into his chest with a double-palmed strike.

Abel's jaw dropped and a pathetic gasp escaped him as the wind was ripped out of him. He was thrown back and out the window, plummeting towards the ground as Caine lunged after him.

Ratchet rushed to the window, "ABEL!"

Abel landed on his feet and stumbled backwards just before Caine landed and resumed his assault. He was barely able to block what little he did block until Caine suddenly landed a roundhouse kick to his head. Abel flew sideways, spinning in the air before landing with a hard thud, completely disoriented.

Caine slowly strut to where his brother lay, laughing as his sword once more formed in his hand with a bright red flash of light.

"C-Caine… please stop… we shouldn't fight!" Abel cried out weakly as he struggled to stand.

Caine smirked, "Oh… but the fight is already over! In fact, it wasn't much of a fight at all, now was it?" He stopped for a moment, "So tell me, do you prefer to be tortured or just be killed outright… it makes no difference to me, dear brother!"

He lifted his blade up in the air, smirking as Abel shut his eyes, desperately trying to make his muscles obey. Caine twitched his arm, about to swing, when suddenly he heard a metallic sound from above and both he and Abel looked up.


	20. Psychotic Power

Hola! Well, I'm kinda dividing my notes among these chapters xD

The thing I'll like to say is that I'd love some reviews over these few chapters They weren't rushed, but I have a feeling I have a plot hole or two hidden here xU If you find any, tell me or if you just have a comment, please say something!

* * *

"RATCHET, WAIT!" Clank yelled from the broken window.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Ratchet was running down the side of the building, secured by his rappelling gear, his Anti-matter rifle at the ready. He fired a shot at Caine who immediately jumped out of the way.

"Thank God," Abel said with a sigh as Ratchet landed on the ground and released his rope.

Ratchet ran for Abel, never taking his sights off Caine. He reached Abel, and kneeled by him, "Are you alright?"

Abel coughed a bit before looking up, "Yeah, I'm fine… I- I lost your gun…"

Ratchet smirked, "That's fine, I have plenty." He shot a glance at Caine, who was cocking his head, as if considering his options. "Listen to me and listen well, when this is over… you will tell me everything… About that nanotech you spoke of, about him, and about you… everything you haven't told me already. Got it?"

Abel looked down, "I…"

Ratchet grabbed his arm, causing him to yelp, "Got it?"

"Alright, I'll tell you… everything you want to know…" Abel said timidly.

Ratchet sighed, "If there is one thing you should know about me, it is that I do not like to be messed with, I do not like it when someone tries to take something precious away from me. If they do, I lash out at them, I hurt them, and there are few things in this world or any other that will stop me." His gazed shot at Caine, "This bastard, this Caine, made me believe he had killed you, murdered the only other Lombax I had ever known and cared about. I do not care for him though, and I will make him pay!" Ratchet stood up, "But I need help in order to do that!" He looked down at Abel.

Abel stood up as well, "I will help you… but, I can't kill him… I won't kill him… However, I can help you beat him." He looked at Ratchet, "Is that good enough?"

Ratchet smirked, "That'll be just fine!"

"WILL YOU TWO GET A FUCKING ROOM!" Caine yelled out, a look of frustration apparent on his face. "I'm about to pass out over here from boredom because you two are too busy having one of those cliché bullshit friendship speeches about how you're both going to work together to stop me… Do either of you have any idea how utterly ridiculous that is?!" He started to laugh as he readied his blades.

Ratchet cocked his eyebrow, "We'll see who's laughing when this is over…" he said as his rifled was withdrawn and he began quietly cycling through his weapons for a trump card.

"We certainly will! Now… DIE!!" Caine roared as he flew at his enemies.

Ratchet shoved Abel back and brought both his arms up to hold the weapon he had selected as it began to form, "GAME OVER!" The RYNOcerator formed his hands and without hesitation, the trigger was pulled.

Ka-BOOM… ssssSSSSSSSHOOOM!!

Caine's eyes widened as he was engulfed by a flash of vaporizing light.

"RATCHET, NO!!" Abel cried out, his eyes watering.

It took a moment for the light to fade and both of them looked around for any sign of Caine.

Ratchet sighed before looking down at Abel, who had fallen to his knees, tears forming in his eyes, "I'm sorry, Abel, I had no-"

There was an unusual sound coming from behind them, like the person makes when they've been shot but are not fully aware or are just realizing it had happened. This sound, however, had a bit of mechanical sound to it.

Both Abel and Ratchet looked back, both almost squeaking in shock at the sight.

It was like a botched lombaxian muscular anatomy lesson. Caine's skin was gone, seared off. His right arm, his ears, a few of his remaining fingers, his ears… it was like something out of one of those extreme torture holo-vid films that were oh-so-popular.

He wasn't moving, he wasn't breathing. It was as if Caine were biding his time, trying not to scream in agony, waiting for relief.

Then Ratchet noticed something he had not from earlier. There was metal. Cold, hard, reflective metal peering and protruding from Caine's wounds, fixed into his muscles, a part of his being.

"No way…"

Ratchet nearly vomited.

It was then that the damaged limbs and digits began to regenerate just like before. His body rapidly regained it's shape and soon his skin was reforming until he was once more Caine and was sighing in relief. He turned to face them both, seeming unaware or uncaring that his armor and clothing were now non-existent.

"That… was excruciating…" he licked his lips, "… thank you."

Both Ratchet and Abel backed away. "What?" this dumbfounded ratchet.

"Oh yes… I love it when my nerve endings are sent through hell, it's such a rush, but that's not what I meant!" Caine held out his arms to the both of them, "You just gave me a wonderful by using that weapon!"

There was an electric surge in the air that coursed around Caine.

"Weapon Protocol: Virtual Weapon: Absorbed Effect: RYNOcerator!" Caine chanted as a light formed around his arms, "DUAL MODE: X THREE!!"

Ratchet had never seen anything like it, a digital ring appeared on the outside of Caine's arms, then the one became two, then three. Six rings in total, three around each arm. He was about to say something when he saw what came from them. From each ring came the barrel of a RYNOcerator, all ready to be fired.

"Oh god… no!" Ratchet dropped his own gun and grabbed Abel, "RUN!!"

Ratchet wasted no time in running as fast as he could, pulling Abel with him, absolutely sure that the last thing he would ever hear would be the explosion of the guns Caine now wielded.

Ka – BOOM… ssssSSSSSSHOOOOM!

Ratchet knew he was dead; he had to be. He waited for something, anything… pain, relief, cold, warmth, anything. He could still feel Abel in his grasp, he could still breath, and he could still open his eyes.

He turned his head to look back at Caine, but he became confused at what he saw, it made no sense. Caine was facing away from them and… something was missing.

"N- no… no! NO!! CLANK!!" Ratchet screamed out.

City Hall was gone, reduced to rubble. Caine was laughing hysterically as the RYNOcerators around his arms vanished.

Abel couldn't believe what he had seen, "Caine… w-what has become of you?! What… what have you done to yourself? WHAT HAS HE DONE TO YOU?!"

Ratchet's vision had now narrowed, focusing entirely on the vile monster in front of him. He was trembling with fury, tears streaming down his face. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

He brought out his Quantum Whip and dropped it at Abel's feet before bringing out his Concussion Cannon for himself.

"I'm... sorry... Abel…" he said through bared teeth, "but I don't care if you want him to be kept alive… NOT ANYMORE!" Ratchet roared as he charged at the psychopath before him, completely ignoring Abel's pleas.

Caine laughed as his swords formed in his hands, "WE'LL SEE JUST HOW STRONG YOU REALLY ARE!!"


	21. Fury, Omnipotence, and Hope

This is the last chapter I'll upload for a bit.

Again, sorry it took so long to get these up x.x

* * *

SLASH

SLASH! SWING! SLASH!

Ratchet had barely dodged the blade that passed over the tips of his ears. He snarled at Caine as he aimed with the Concussion Cannon and squeezed the trigger.

BANG!

There was a loud ping as the shells bounced off of Caine's blade and ricocheted. Ratchet winced when one of the shots grazed the side of his brow.

"You have no hope of beating me! You have no hope of keeping any advantage that you will more than likely not gain," Caine fell back a bit to dodge a kick from Ratchet, "and you will never see that friend of yours again because I blew him to bits!" Caine ended with another of his laughs; another things that was driving Ratchet mad.

"SHUT UP!"

BANG!

"GAH!" Caine cried out as the shot tore into his side, giving Ratchet a chance to capitalize.

BANG! BANG!

He aimed and fired at each blade, knocking each one out of their owner's hands.

BANG!

Caine flew back, a hole gaping in his chest. He hit the ground with a thud and did not move for a bit, but Ratchet did not wait.

"I told you I would kill you, I MEANT IT!" He stood over the slowly regenerating Caine and aimed the cannon at his head.

Click!

"WHAT?! A JAM?! THAT'S NOT- KAH!" Ratchet's words were cut short as Caine landed a swift kick to his stomach. He flew back with such force that he hit what remained of front wall of City Hall. Everything went black.

--

"Pain… I sense great pain within you…" the voice was emotionless.

Ratchet tried to open his eyes, but they wouldn't comply, "Wha… what?"

"Lies… you have been told great lies…" the voice grew louder, as if it were closer.

Ratchet tried to feel around with his hands, but he felt nothing, "Lies? What lies?"

"Violations… you have been violated by the same force that poisons you with lies… A violation of the body and the mind that you could not stop… I pity you… the pain it has caused you, the conflict it will cause you." The voice was growing ever closer.

"Who are you?!" Ratchet said, confused beyond belief.

"To know that would mean you see me as an enemy, to know the truth you have been denied would make us allies…"

Ratchet was becoming annoyed, "I know your voice! I've heard it before! Who are you?! TELL ME!"

"No, I'm afraid I cannot. You have more important tasks to complete right now… I've seen the end of my life and I know the end of yours as well as the destinies that intermingle with yours. None of them shall come full-circle this day… This I can promise you… Now… listen carefully…"

"To… what?" Ratchet wanted desperately to open his eyes, grab something, hit something, do anything other than just sit there.

…

….

"Hello?"

No answer…

"HELLO?!"

"Ratchet?"

"That… voice…" Ratchet suddenly gasped, "CLANK?!"

"RATCHET!"

"I'M HERE, CLANK! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"RATCHET, WAKE UP!"

--

There was a flash of light and then Ratchet was back in the real world. He shot up and looked around frantically.

"Ratchet, are you alright?!"

Ratchet looked back to find Clank standing on a bit of rubble, looking at him. He was a bit damaged, a few frayed circuits sticking out and a dent here and there. He was hurt, but not in any serious way.

"CLANK! OH MY GOD! YOU'RE ALIVE!" Ratchet cried out, grabbing the robot and hugging him as tightly as possible.

"RATCHET… PLEASE! WE HAVE… MORE IMPORTANT MATTERS… AT HAND!!" Clank cried as he desperately tried to pull himself free.

Ratchet let him go, "Alright, what is it?"

"WE HAVE TO STOP CAINE! HE'S ABOUT TO KILL ABEL!" Clank yelled, desperately pointing to the scene in front of him.

Ratchet's sight shot in the direction Clank was pointing and shot up.

Caine had Abel by the throat and was twirling his blade in his other hand.

"CAINE! LET HIM GO!!" Ratchet yelled as he raised the Concussion Cannon.

The crimson Lombax looked over his shoulder, ignoring the struggling of his brother. "And if I don't?"

"THIS!" There was a click as a grenade was lobbed at Caine, who's fur stood on end.

Caine only had enough time to drop Abel and throw up his own guard before the grenade ignited. To his surprise, a thick white cloud of smoke blanket the area.

There was a rush as Ratchet, with Clank secured on his back, leapt through the smoke and grabbed Abel. He skid out of the smoke and turned to face it before dropping to his knees.

"Abel, are you alright?" he said, worried.

"Yeah… I'm fine…" Abel replied, struggling to speak.

"We must end this immediately!" Clank stated, "If we do not, our odds of survival will .006!"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it…" Ratchet looked up at the smoke that was now clearing, with Caine beginning to close the distance between them, "I have a plan…"

He quickly briefed Abel and Clank and they both nodded in agreement.

"Ready… NOW!"

With that, they charged at Caine, who cocked his eyebrow, before he charged at them himself. He was mere yards away when he heard the all-to-familiar click of another grenade.

"GET A NEW TRICK!" he yelled as the grenade went off and smoke covered the area.

As soon as Ratchet saw Caine's shadow, he opened fire with his cannon.

Without hesitation, Caine leapt up out of the way.

Suddenly, a swift kick connected with Caine's chest as Abel had leapt over Ratchet to capitalize on the opening his brother had given them. As his brother cried out in surprise and flew back, Ratchet grabbed hold of Abel's leg. Without wasting a moment, Abel flipped and landed on his hands before swinging his legs forward to fling Ratchet at Caine.

Caine opened his eyes just in time to see Ratchet right above him, "WHAT THE FU-"

BANG!

The force of the shot sent Caine right into the ground with a hard smash and enough force that he bounce back into the air. Right before he began to fall back onto the ground, a strong hand gripped his foot and lifted and over, face-first into the ground with tremendous force.

The only sound Caine could make was a gargle before Abel's grip on his foot tightened even more and he was launched into the air.

"RATCHET, NOW!" Abel yelled.

Ratchet ran up to him and kneeled, "GO!"

Abel stepped back before running up and onto Ratchet's back, using his own strength and Ratchet to leap high into the air.

"IT'S OVER, CAINE!" Abel roared as he reached Caine and grabbed him.

Abel quickly flipped Caine around so that he upside down, locking his arms around his waist and his legs around his neck as they plummeted toward the ground.

SLAM!

It was a deafening crash that caused dust to blanket the area around them.

"Abel? Did it work?!" Ratchet yelled, desperate for an answer.

The dust finally settled, revealing Abel, still in the same position, with his brother's twitching body, who's head could not be seen. He finally let go of Caine, who's body fell over, almost lifeless, to reveal serious head trama.

"He's just unconscious… knocking him out is the only way to stop him…" Abel said as he ran his hand over his brother's chest. "He was always ruthless, but he's far worse than I remember now…"

Ratchet put his gun away, "We cannot allow him to be free. We must either find a secure way to restrain him or… kill him… he's just too big of a threat!"

"I… I know…" Abel said quietly.

"Ratchet, I have already messaged the Phoenix. They shall arrive with assistance shortly. It seems the jamming has ceased. In fact, I noticed that it would waver whenever Caine was hurt in some way." Clank said.

Ratchet blinked. He looked over Caine's body "Unless he hid the jamming device up his ass, he'd have nowhere to hide it. His clothes and armor were completely disintegrated… Are you telling me that he WAS the jamming device?!"

Clank sighed, "It is entirely possible. It has already been made apparent that he is not 100 organic and he has access to some powerful technology that I have never seen before."

It was Ratchet's turn to sigh, "Alright, whatever… Now that I have a chance to ask… How did you survive, Clank?"

Clank looked like he was deep in thought, "I have no idea… there was a flash of light… and then I felt something pick me up. Next thing I remember, I saw you laying there unconscious."

Ratchet back at the rubble of City Hall, "That damn voice lied to me… the rest of them are dead."

Abel's head shot up, "What?"

Just then, a drop ship landed. Rangers quickly poured out and covered the area.

Ratchet gave a heavy sigh.

--

A full damage report had been filed and Caine had been fully restrained. Clank and Abel were sitting by Ratchet, trying to cheer him up.

A ranger walked up to them, "Captain, we have great news!"

Ratchet glanced at the rookie out of the corner of his eyes, "… What?"

"Sir, it must be a miracle, we were able to retrieve the memory files of every ranger lost today! They can be restored!" the ranger's jubilance was contagious.

Ratchet shot up, complete disbelief on his face, "Are you serious?"

"YES! And it gets even better! We found the mayor! She's safe and so is her father!"


	22. The Collective

Alright, I am SO sorry that it has taken this long to get anything posted here x.x

But I also feel that this is a good thing, because it has given me a lot of time to mull over the details and figure out how to best execute the future chapters fo this story.

I have not lost interest, but rather have been doing many projects at the same time x.x

I realize something as well, I say that there is yaoi, and in truth, it looks like there will be both hetero and homosexual relationships, but I honestly don't think it's going to get explicit in the sense of graphic fucking, maybe implying. Honestly, I feel that if I push that too much, it will much up the whole thing. So rather, the relations are more of for plot furthering and character developement. If I am making no sense or have somehow become repetetive in my notes, I am sorry.

Woooooo... I'm tired xD

--

Oh yes, I would also like to point out that a change has been made that I just don't want to go back and change elsewhere. Secret Agent Clank shows alot more of Ratchets head than normal, so I can only assume that that cap of his never hid anything more than a yellow scalp at this point. So, please note that there will be a slight change in descriptions from now on regarding Ratchet's hair xD

Ratchet had to rest for a bit, his entire body was sore

Ratchet had to rest for a bit, his entire body was sore. He looked over at Abel who was rubbing his stomach where he had been impaled.

"Are you okay?" Ratchet asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine… I just… I… he… Caine never attacked me in such a way before…" Abel replied, a tear visible in his eye.

Ratchet stood up slowly, wincing a bit, "I don't understand how you can have feelings for that… that monster… He slaughtered so many innocent, drank their blood, used them as decoys, he-"

"Enough!" Ratchet was caught off guard by Abel's command, but couldn't bring himself to say anything when he saw Abel's expression.

"I…I'll be over there," Ratchet finally said before walking off towards a few of the rangers and Al.

"So, where's Sasha? If she doesn't get here soon, I'll go find her myself, and to hell with securing the area," Ratchet said, a growl in his voice.

"Just calm down, Ratchet, she'll be here in a few minutes. Just be thankful she was away from the building before this 'Caine' guy attacked. A stroke of luck! Actually, there have been quite a few strokes of luck today, haven't there?" Al said with a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yeah… I supp- Well… it's about time…" Ratchet said, noticing out of the corner of his eye that several rangers were now moving a heavily restrained Caine into a prisoner transport ship. He was still unconscious, but no one was willing to take a risk.

"Ratchet… I hate to say this, but if Caine is really Abel's brother… are you sure we can-"

"Don't go there!" Ratchet snapped at Al, "I don't want to hear that, especially considering that monster was so quick to hurt Abel like he did!

"Well, damn, Ratchet, I didn't mean to-" Al stopped when he saw a vehicle arrive.

The engine died and the door swung open as Sasha flew out to hug Ratchet.

"OH MY GOD, RATCHET! I'm so glad to see you!" She cried, kissing him on the cheek.

Ratchet laughed before hugging her back, "I'm glad to see you too, I was so scared that you had been in that building!"

"Well, everything's okay now. The terrorist was captured and everyone is safe now!" Sasha said with a cheerful tone.

Abel walked up to them, catching Sasha's attention, "Oh, and I'm glad to see you're safe too, Abel!"

She nearly knocked Abel over when she hugged him, making him yelp, "Thank you for looking out for him! I don't know what I would do if something happened to him."

Abel already looked uncomfortable, but those last words made him tense up for a split second. It didn't sit well with him.

"Well… I'm glad I could… keep you happy…" he finally said, trying very hard to hide a negative tone.

Sasha didn't seem to notice, nor did anyone else, "You know…now that I think about it, this is the first time we've met in person!"

"Oh, is it really?" Abel replied, his nose twitching slightly.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Ratchet, dad wants to talk to you!" Sasha said, suddenly turning her full attention to Ratchet.

"Oh, okay, let's go do that now," Ratchet said with a smirk as Sasha latched onto his arm. "Hey, Abel, I'll see you later on the Phoenix. I still want to talk about everything I haven't been told, but in a comfortable setting," he said with a smile as he and Sasha walked to the vehicle and got in.

Abel's throat had become dry, "Wonderful…" He turned his head for a moment, before completely turning around and walking off.

Al cocked his eyebrow, "What's his pro-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-"

--

"I HAF HAD EET VITH ZEES POINTLESS RECORDS!!" The figure, cloaked completely in darkness, slammed his hands on his section of the large table in front of him. "Vat does zees haf to do veeth my research or any of ours for zat matter?!"

The screen became nothing but static, before changing to a profile. Just as it did this, the screens around it changed to profiles of other individuals as well as well.

"Dear brother, why must you grow so impatient, so quickly?" replied the figure at the head of the table, he too was cloaked in darkness. "This is important in many aspects. We can learn of anomalies we may have overlooked, potential for more powerful and beneficial projects, and… the treachery that has sat right under our noses for oh so long…"

There was an uproar from the rest of those sitting around the table before a feminine voice cut them off completely.

"SILENCE! Now dear brother, since you have once more explained the 'purpose' of this record, perhaps you can answer a persisting query of mine that I have yet to pursue?" the owner of the feminine said, the sound of her seat creaking in her darkness as she moved.

The head of the table spoke curiously, "And said query would be?"

"I wish to fully understand why two of our seats are bare. Where have our dear brothers gone?"

"Hmmm… an understandable question. And, I have stated on numerous occasions before, this information will be clearly presented during this viewing…"

"Very well, thank you, brother. May we now continue?"

"Only if we are done questioning the purposes of this meeting. Each and every one of you should be well aware that all of my gatherings have a point that should be taken with unwavering care and attention. Now, let us continue…"

Click…

--

"o-o-oblem?"

The ranger looked at Al, "No clue, sir. Should we ask?"

"Oh no, that would probably end with you and half of me getting turned to scrap metal."

Abel climbed into the prisoner transport behind the rangers who had finished moving Caine.

The portable holding cell was rather makeshift. Solid and damn-near indestructible, but they had just finished putting it together only minutes before landing at ground-zero. Abel couldn't remember what they said they had used, but he doubted the welding process had been fun for anyone involved.

Abel was now peering into the reinforced window of the cell. The entire ordeal was proving to be serious strain on his heart. He could feel it breaking.

"What has happened to you, Caine? You never were very kind to me, but…." He could feel his eyes watering again.

"…What has he done to you?"

Ah, so the plot thickens. I hope you all enjoy this. If I still have readers after my little hiatus, I'm happy. Thanks again for reading


	23. Mind Game

Ratchet grinned a bit

"Your dad still isn't wild about me, huh?" he asked Sasha, who was kissing his neck.

"Give him time, he's just really protective. So you were really worried about we?" she replied, lifting her head to look into his eyes.

Ratchet jerked up, "OF COURSE I WAS WORRIED!"

Sasha laughed, "I know you were, I just love it when you get wound up like that."

"Hmm… well, I guess that's alright then" he said, "Well, I guess we should get back to your dad and Clank before they start wondering where we are."

Sasha sighed, "I suppose…"

Ratchet got up and pulled on his pants as Sasha watched.

"Nice butt."

"Why thank you, ma'am."

They both laughed.

--

Ratchet, Clank, Sasha, and the Galactic President formed a small group as they walked down the corridor of the Phoenix towards the holding cells.

"I guess I wasn't fully aware of just how well you've maintained this ship, Ratchet!" Sasha exclaimed as she looked at the areas they passed through.

"Glad to hear it. God, the last time you said that was just before Dreadzone. I guess I can be thankful that wasn't the last time I get to hear you say that," he replied with a smile.

The Galactic President cocked an eyebrow before falling back slightly and bringing Ratchet back with him with a single strong hand.

His voice was a whisper, "I know good and well that you two are more than friends, but you had better not do anything stupid with my daughter." He leaned in a bit so that his mouth was touching a profusely sweating Ratchet's ear. "Castration is a permanent solution, remember that…"

--

The group, led by a notably paler Ratchet, entered Caine's holding cell, much to the relief of several rangers and an expressionless Abel.

"Anything to report?" Ratchet asked.

"No sir, the terrorist has not moved at all," the ranger nearest to the cell replied.

Caine was in the middle of the large cell, he body harness to a device similar to a crucifix with each limb secured at several points. Even his fingers were spread and held in place. Several security turrets were set in place around him, ready to fire if he so much as blinked the wrong way. Even the glass that separated them was special. Highly

reinforced, but also coursing with energy that would fry anything on the inside of the cell that touched it.

"He's just… sleeping?" Ratchet asked, noting that the head trauma had been healed for a while now.

"Yes, we-"

Every head in the room snapped towards the cell, alerted by the chuckle that came from its inhabitant.

"Hehehe… so this is the great Phoenix?" Caine smirked as he opened his left eye and looked around. "Looks like shit…"

Ratchet's eyes narrowed, "Tough talk coming from someone who will be on the wrong end of a firing squad in a matter of hours… What do you have to say to that?"

Caine suddenly started laughing hysterically, "You would actually throw more victims at me?!"

Ratchet snarled, "Sick bastard…"

"Maybe I am…." His gaze moved towards Sasha, "So, you must be the bitch who used to run this flying shit hole…"

Sasha's nose twitched before her body shifted to a rather aggressive stance, "Did he just call me a bitch?"

"Umm, yes I did, you deaf bitch!" Caine replied with a cackle.

"Who the hell-"

"Enough, Sasha," the President cut her off, "listen to me and listen well, Mr. Caine. I will not waste my time sitting here while you insult my daughter. Considering your crimes, I could have you executed with just a phone call. So, if you don't want me to make said call, I would suggest you sit quietly and only speak when you are answering our questions. If you do that, I MIGHT be able to get you a nice comfy cell in the deepest, darkest part of Solana's highest security prisons… What do you say to that?"

"Hmmm… I'd say…." Everyone leaned closer to the glass, "I'd say you could go fuck yourself. Executions don't frighten me, but perhaps I should humor you with some answers anyway. Perhaps then you'll have a perspective of how fucked you all are once I escape from this pathetic excuse for a cell…"

Ratchet sighed, "Fine, first question: Who are you and where are you from? I want a full name as well as where you came from before attacking the city. If need be, birthplace and such would be good too."

Caine cocked an eyebrow, "Hmph, alrighty then. You already know me as Caine. However, my full title is Caine, the Crimson. Hehehe, and he is Abel, the Azul," he said with a grin, glaring straight at Abel, who became rather uncomfortable.

"I said FULL NAME! Not titles, answer the damn question properly," Ratchet demanded.

"That is the best you will get, neither of us have a last name. Hehehe… we are children of-"

"CAINE!" Abel roared, "You know damn well what ground you are about to tread," he snarled as he slammed a fist into the glass, causing a notable rumble.

Caine roared with laughter, "We're both just freaks… you know that, but if you don't want me to say anything regarding our births, then fine, I'll keep my mouth shut."

Everyone just stared at Abel who had lowered his head, his ears drooping.

"Hmm… As for my previous location… it's a wonderful warship known as the Unyielding Abyss. Far more powerful than that pathetic ship, the Dark Spectrum, you found his ass on. Tell me, had the bodies fully decayed by that point?"

Ratchet clenched a fist, "You are by far the most insane criminal I've ever met! How could you just slaughter all those scientists like that?!"

Everyone aside from Ratchet, Clank, Abel, and Caine had a confused look on their face.

Caine had a rather happy grin on his face at that point, "Ah, so my little show did manage to survive long enough for a playback. Wonderful!"

Ratchet had gotten a bad taste in his mouth, "Let's move on-"

"Perhaps onto HIS master's 'colleage'?" Caine suddenly said.

"What?!" Both Ratchet and Abel's heads shot up at that.

"Hehehe, thought so… Abel has such a cute way of referring to my master."

Ratchet turned his head toward Abel, "He… knows what you told me? HOW?!"

Abel was at a loss for words, "I… I…"

Caine laughed, "That music was 'meant to be as a way to calm' me 'down if' I 'ever had a tantrum…'"

Sasha looked at Ratchet, "What is he talking about?"

Ratchet was wide-eyed, "It's not… how?"

"Isn't it terrifying to know that you can meet someone in a dream? Or rather… they find you and…. touch you, eh, Ratchet?" Caine's eyes were wide with a psychotic expression, as if a combination of unbridled malice and the suppression of hysterical laughter at the same time, "Don't you just hate it when you get a hard-on from getting objects shoved up your ass without permission?"

Ratchet was trembling with a both rage and fear.

All eyes on Ratchet.

Caine leaned forward a bit, until the restraints stopped him, a hellish grin on his face and his eyes locked on Ratchet, "Of course, secretly, I bet you loved it, didn't you?"

"SHUT UP!!" Ratchet rushed forth and smashed his wrench into the glass, causing a loud bang as the weapon bounced off.

Caine's expression became little more than a smirk, "Haha, little bitch…"

Aside from Clank and the Lombaxes, confusion was a shared expression on each face.

Ratchet was shaking furiously, his eyes watering as the words cut unbearably deep and revived horrific memories.

Sasha grabbed his arm "Ratchet, what is going on?! What is he talking about?!"

Ratchet snapped.

"GET OFF OF ME! IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU, NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF YOU!!" he roared as he stormed out of the room and slammed his fist on the wall outside.

He slowly turned and pressed his back to the wall as he sank to the ground, his face buried in his right hand.

Abel turned to leave, "RATCHET, I-"

"Oh, Abel?" Caine said with a merry tone that caught Abel off guard.

"Wh… what… what the hell do you want?!" Abel replied with a snarl.

"Just one last thing, before you tend to the little bitch out there…"

Caine smirked as his muscled visibly flexed. The sound of metal being twisted with a sickening screech was an orchestra of horror as the occupants of the room witness Caine rip himself out of his shackles.

The President brought his hand up, "MEN, READY YOUR WEAPONS, ONLY FIRE IF HE MANAGES TO ESCAPE THE CELL!!"

Caine dropped to the floor and then stood, glancing over his still-nude form.

"I never did have a chance to dress after he blasted away everything I had on… Hell, I even have to re-braid my hair… Anyway, I want to you to see something, my dear brother…"

Abel stepped forward just a bit, "And what is that?"

Caine grinned as his eyes began to glow, the light around him starting to bend.

"The hell? Optic camouflage, hologram?"

Abel gasped when the process stopped.

There stood a young Lombax boy, age would be considered about eleven. His eyes were like Abel's, only red. He had the same hair, but no markings on his fur. He was dressed in a one-piece skin-tight black suit. The leggings cut off about six inches above the kneecaps and the sleeves ended about two inches above his elbows. It was a young Caine.

"What… in the world?" Abel was astonished.

"I want you to remember this form. Remember me when we were little, playing in that simulated valley. Remember our innocence, remember our fun, and remember our happiness. When they decide to take me to the firing range…"

Abel began to back away, his hands moving up to clutch his ears, his eyes filling with tears. His hands moving to drown out the words coming from the artificial youth in his brother's voice.

"When they decide to do this…. I want to only be able to see this form… AS THEY FILL IT WITH BULLETS!!"

Abel ran out of the room, tears streaming down his face as he Caine maniacal laughter filled the halls of the Phoenix. He collapsed on the ground a few feet away from Ratchet, memories racing through his mind until the intensity became too much. He tried to hold it in, but he couldn't prevent himself from vomiting before falling over on his side, completely unconscious.

--

I only pray that Caine is now even disturbing to you all that he was before


	24. Happiness

"Abel… I want you to do me a favor…"

"Yes, Master?"

"I want you to live life for yourself."

"What does that mean, Master?"

"Hehehe, it's rather simply. It means that you need to live life to fullest. You need to live as you see fit. Fulfill your obligation to yourself to be truly happy."

"How do I become truly happy?"

"That is entirely up to you. Of course, there are many ways that have brought happiness to others…"

"How, how, how?!"

"Hahaha, settle down, settle down… Some find happiness in material possessions. I would prefer this not be how you find happiness-"

"Then I won't!"

"Now, now. You must decide what makes you happy because of what others think. If it turns out that you find happiness in that way… I will be happy with it."

"HEY! You just said that you can't decide on happy because of what others think!"

"Hehe, yes, I did. However, you should have let me finish what I was saying earlier, as there are others things have brought happiness to people."

"I'm sorry for interrupting. Please forgive me!"

"It's alright, Abel. You don't have to apologize… As I was saying, people can find happiness in material possessions, some find happiness in their ideals, some find happiness in their work. Then, there are those who find happiness in the company and happiness of others."

"But why do they find happiness in others?"

"It is not something that can be explained with an equation. Words that are linked to this form of happiness are 'friendship,' 'companionship,' and… 'love.'"

"Love?"

"Yes, there are many forms of love as well. There is the love shared between family members, love between good friends, love between a pupil and teacher, and love between, well… lovers… Stop giggling, Abel."

"I'm sorry, master."

"It's alright. I do expect a better showing of maturity from you. Intimacy of that nature is not something that should be considered humorous. At least not is this sense."

"I understand."

"I'm glad. You see, the happiness I have is because of you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. I gain happiness in seeing you grow, teaching you everything I know, everything you want to know… and I will gain even more happiness when you have found what makes you happy."

"But…"

"Yes?"

"BUT WHAT IF MY HAPPINESS MEANS THAT I LEAVE THIS PLACE?!"

"That is not something to worry about. I will not become unhappy if you find happiness elsewhere. I will not allow myself to keep you from having the life you seek."

"But…"

"Hehehe, do not let such things worry you now Abel. You are still but a young child. Despite what I teach you now, your main goal should be to have fun and savor your childhood as much as you can."

"I will then, thank you, master. Umm.."

"Yes?"

"Do you… love me?"

"Yes, I do."

"As a friend?"

"No… as who you are."

"Okay, well I love you for who you are too, master!"

"Hehehe, I'm glad to hear it. Now, go play."

"OKAY!"

…

"I only wish that Caine could see the world the way I want you to see it…"

--

Abel stirred on his bed in the infirmary, causing a deathly looking Ratchet to immediately to rush to his side.

Several minutes passed as Ratchet waited for something else to happen. He desperately wanted Abel to open his eyes and tell him about how crappy he must have looked right now.

Abel mumbled something and Ratchet leaned in to listen, but couldn't understand.

"Abel, please wake up… don't let Caine do this to you!" Ratchet pleaded.

At this, a tear formed in a Abel's eye and a weak smile appeared.

"Abel?"

Abel's eyes shot open suddenly and he sat up. Despite the fact that the smile was still present, his face had no real emotion in it.

"Abel, thank God! Are you alright?" Ratchet said, tightly gripping on Abel's shoulders.

Abel's gaze shifted toward Ratchet in a rather mechanical way, "I learned something today… that I think my master never wanted me to know…"

Ratchet became worried, "W- what is that?"

Abel's words came with a snarl as the smile faded, "Happiness… dies…"


	25. Sadness

Holy crap, I think I'm becoming worse than VGCats about sticking to a schedule xDDD

Anyway, here you guys, sorry for the wait, I just seem to not be able to multitask lately with this story, artwork, and life in general. Luckily things can start to pick up since we're getting really close to the end of "Act 1" (if one could call it that xD)

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Why do they persist

"Why do they persist?"

"Master?"

"Why do these subjects insist on surviving? They have provided with all the information necessary to show that they cannot survive. It makes no sense in any respect, unless you provide the idea of self-preservation. However, a body is capable of suicide so this leads me to believe that self-preservation is nothing more than a fear of death… Perhaps I answered my own question?"

"But, Master… why are they scared?"

"First and foremost… never begin a sentence with the word 'but'… at least in my presence. I will not allow myself to hear you butcher the language I have worked so diligently to instill in you. Is that clear, Caine?"

"Y-yes, Ma-"

"Never hesitate when answering me! The next time you do, I promise the lash to your back…"

"Yes, Master! I'm sorry, please don't!"

sigh "'Please, do not' is what I should hear… Hmm, actually, I will take that back. Such conjunctions shall be acceptable, but only those I myself would say depending upon the situation…"

"Yes, Master."

"Now, as for your question. The fear of death is a rather odd concept. I say it is odd because it is a concept about a variable. No two being ever truly have the exact same fear. It can very to a point that just thinking about the death can be paralyzing, while others simply just don't want that to be the cause."

"Umm…"

"There will be no 'umms' either. Some fear the cause, while others simply fear death itself. Foolish, isn't it?"

"I don't understand."

"Some are petrified by the thought of dying. They do not want to pass on. Perhaps they fear the afterlife, perhaps they fear that there is no afterlife, perhaps they believe that Hell awaits them."

"Hell?"

"Hell is a place that many believe that those who sin, do not believe in their specific god or gods, or a for a plethora of other reasons, go to and suffer for all eternity."

-gasp-

"The suffering is said to be unlike any known in existence. Tortures unlike any one could imagine, both physical and mental. It's rather gruesome."

"I don't want to go there!" sob

"Quit that ridiculous behavior. There is proof that such a place ever exists, and I myself doubt it."

"So, I won't go there? Really?"

"Although I have no proof to say that you won't, I very adamant in my belief that neither of us will. Now, I have to ask you a question."

"I know you and brother would play with 342. I also know that Abel is far less controlled than you, so I can only assume he was the one who put it in your to do it."

gulp "Master?"

"Where have you hidden him? I can see he is not among those out there. I would suggest you answer… quickly…"

"I… I-"

-SMACK-

"What did I say about hesitation? What do I always say? What did I promise if you did it again?! Come here!"

"NO, MASTER, PLE- GAAH!"

"Begging is not something I taught. Surely that brother of yours put that in your head as well. Though I may have you by the neck, Caine, I will not want to hear so much a whimper out of you… or I promise more than just the lash will be waiting for you…"

-cough-

"It brings me such sadness when you fail to comply…"

--

Caine's eyes shot open, causing the ranger watching him to jump. Caine chuckled at that.

"What the hell is so damn funny?!" The ranger growled.

"Did you know that I've endured a rather painful life?" Caine asked, quizzically.

"Why should I care?" The ranger replied, confused.

Caine smirked, "Ah, answering a question with a question. At time's it was allowed, but if the question were directed at me, it were likely that doing such would leave me held by my wrists with blood running down my back from where the whip had landed."

"From what I've seen, what I've heard, I don't you got it enough." The rangers said with a snarl.

"It's funny, I never knew that such simple divider keeping me from getting to you would actually constitute you growing a pair. What a wondrous world we live in." Caine laughed.

"Fuck you… I'm not scared of you. The rookies in here before me may be terrified of you, but I've seen enough action to know you're just a punk with some power. Dr. Nefarious is more fearsome than you…" The rangers said with a chuckle.

Caine was taken aback by this comment. He took a step back, looking as he was trying to process what was just said. He then dropped his head

Caine roared with laughter, "You really think that pathetic scientist is more fearsome than I? How very uneducated of you. I will be sure to show you what terror truly is. That I promise."

"Yeah, I'm sure you will… little bastard…"

"My masters always told me that I filled him with sadness when I couldn't follow his idea of perfection…"

"He must be on some serious anti-depressants, if that's the case…"

"When I get out of here, I be sure to show you sadness as well. I'll take from yoi everything you ever cared. I do not promise you the lash…"

"Oh yeah, then what do you promise?" If the ranger had an eyebrow, it would have been cocked.

"Despair!"

Caine's laughter echoed throughout the halls, sending a chill even down Ratchet's spine.


	26. Impulse

Holy fluffernutters, I posted another chap without a month long in between... there must be some sort of witchcraft at work here D:

Longer chapter this time... was gonna be two chapters, but I think it's more dramatic this way. You get more about Abel in this chapter. Hope you guys like it

--

"Wanna play a game?" Ratchet asked.

"No…" Abel replied, emotionless.

"Want me to get you a snack?"

"No…"

"Wanna to listen some music?"

"No…"

"Ummm, want me to get you anything at all?"

"No…"

"Do you want me to just sit here with you?"

"… No…"

Ratchet sighed, "Fine…" he said as he walked away from Abel who was on the couch in their quarters, wrapped in blanket and curled up into a ball.

Ratchet stepped out into the hallway and the door slid shut with a sound that echoed harshly in the room, like a slam.

Abel curled up even tighter with the sound. He felt terrible, for himself, but mostly for his behavior towards Ratchet. He felt terrible for not trying to comfort him when Caine had played his little games with the both of them.

"I'm so pathetic… "

--

Ratchet walked around aimlessly before he was stopped by Sasha.

"Ratchet! I'm glad I found you. How's Abel?" She asked.

"He's depressed… really depressed. He won't talk to me other than saying 'no' and he won't do anything other than sit there, curled up on the couch. That…. That monster, Caine… he's responsible for this!" Ratchet's fists were balled and shaking.

"Well, that's something I wanted to ask you about." Sasha gulped a bit, "I may regret asking, but what was Caine talking about in there… about…" She looked up to see had taken a step back, his eyes turned away from hers.

"No, no… I don't want to talk about that… Caine shouldn't know anything about that… He shouldn't know anything about half of what he said! It's like he could read my mind… our minds… I'm going to go and find out what he knows!" Ratchet began to walk towards the holding area before Sasha stopped him.

"No! That is not a good idea! The last time you spoke to him, he gave you such a mind fuck that you could do nothing but leave the room and stare into space. His words left Abel in a pool of his own vomit. I highly doubt he won't try the same thing again if you let him!" Sasha cried.

"No, I won't let him this time… I'll be on guard and he-"

-SHOOM-

Abel stepped though the door, his movements a bit shaky as he walked up to Ratchet.

"A.. Abel… are you… okay?" Ratchet said, a bit shocked.

"No, but I don't want to push people away, just because I feel like crap… Can we… can we go do something? Anything?" Abel said, wiping his eyes with his wrist.

"Alright, how about we go get a bite to eat?" Ratchet asked, optimism in his voice.

"Kay, you're buying," he replied jokingly.

--

Ratchet had noticed at times that Abel didn't enjoy Sasha's company. When she would hug him, he wouldn't look down at her or return the hug. As such, he was rather surprised when Abel was the one who suggested Sasha tag along with them.

"Abel, what's your last name?" Sasha inquired suddenly after taking the last bite of her sandwich.

Abel nearly fell over at the question. He finally managed to regain his composure, a look of deep thought on his face.

"Ummm… hmmm. Never thought about that," Abel said, eliciting a reaction similar to his out of Sasha and Ratchet.

"Are you serious?!" Sasha was flabbergasted, "Are you telling me that you don't have one?"

"Yeah, seriously," Ratchet chimed in.

"I don't have an actual last name… no one ever gave me one. The closest I have is my title, 'Azul,'" Abel replied.

"Title? Why do you have a title?" Sasha was puzzled.

"Well, the color blue is rather important to me and my master. I am his most prized and greatest of possessions," Abel said, looking very proud of this fact.

"Possession?!" Ratchet shot up, the word offended him.

Abel backed away a bit in his seat, "Well… yes, he is my master… is that a problem?"

"How can anyone own another person like they were some kind of object?" Ratchet questioned.

"DON'T EVER SAY THAT AGAIN!" Abel roared and rose from his seat as Ratchet quickly sat back down, the attention of all in the room was on Abel, "He does not consider me something so insignificant! He has shown nothing but love and affection for me since the day I was born!"

"I… I… ummm…" Ratchet couldn't seem to form a sentence, being as he was completely stunned the by the tone of voice that Abel shouldn't have been able to just now produce.

"Isn't it funny how when someone says stupid shit, they end up being completely incapable of a rebuttal when they are called out on it?" Abel said with a snarl as he turned, his hand tightly gripping his chair.

Sasha held out her hand, "Abel, please sit down. It was just a misundersta-"

"Understand THIS! I am aware of what a slave is! I am aware of what an abusive or unhealthy relationship is!" Abel was trembling with anger at this point, the part of the chair he was gripping was having to conform to the strength behind his grip, "I cannot believe you would even assume such a thing! When I've told already told you so much?!"

Ratchet was wide-eyed, "Abel… please…"

The room was becoming noticeably warmer, like energy was coursing through it.

"Abel, I'm sorry, please sit back down!" Ratchet pleaded.

"NO!," those with fur in the room felt it stand on end, "I," the silverware began to spark, "WILL," the room began to dim, "NOOOT!"

-BOOM-

In a flash of blue light, everyone was thrown down; blue electricity surged through the room, causing all the circuitry to go haywire. Then everything went black except for a blue glow.

"A… Abel?" Ratchet was unable to process what he was seeing.

Abel stood there before him, looking down at himself. Through his shirt, the areas of him where there were blue marks were glowing bright. The marks on his legs, his ears, and face were just the same. Though the markings were surprising on their own, his eyes had the most haunting glow of all, but they did not hide how completely terrified Abel was at this moment.

"W… what… is happening to me?!" Abel cried.

--

The lights all shut off suddenly and the faint humming of an unseen barrier ceased.

Caine's eyes peered through the darkness, loving the confusion that his "bad ass" guard was showing, thinking to himself, 'Hehehe, it seems the party is about to begin…'

He stood up and walked up to glass separated him from all those he intended to slaughter. He stood before the barrier as his machinations went to work.

--

The lights finally kicked back on a few moments later as all eyes were locked on Abel. Confusion, fear, wonder, each one was present on one face or another.

Abel looked around for only a moment before the muscles in his legs tensed. He bolted for the door.

Ratchet snapped out of his shock, "ABEL, WAIT!"

--

"HeheheHAHAHA!" Caine cackled.

"What the hell's so funny?" The ranger asked.

"I think I know what I can do to scare even a vet like you…" Caine replied with a grin, stepping right up to the glass.

"I highly doubt tha- wait… what the hell?" The ranger couldn't figure out what was wrong with this picture. Suddenly, it clicked, "HOW CAN YOU BE TOUCHING THAT GLASS?! WHY AREN'T YOU BEING FRIED?!"

--

"ABEL! ABEL! COME ON, WHERE ARE YOU?!" Ratchet had chased after him, but he lost him soon after he started running.

He had checked everywhere, the bridge, the locker room, everywhere… except one place.

The door to his quarters slid open "Abel… are you here?"

Sobbing, barely audible, but he could definitely hear it.

Ratchet stepped closer toward the bathroom, "Abel? It's okay. No one is upset at you and I'm sorry for what I said earlier. Just please, let me talk to you."

The door slid open and Ratchet's eye widened. It was Abel, but he looked different. His blue markings had lost their color, replaced with an almost depressing gray. Even his yellow fur seemed to be pale now.

Abel was sitting on the floor, weeping with his covering his face, "Please, just leave me alone…"

Ratchet walked up to him and kneeled down, placing his hands on his shoulders, "That's not gonna happen. Now come on, I think you need to lay down on a nice, soft bed. Kay?"

Abel looked up from his hands, his face stained with tears. He looked at Ratchet for a bit before deciding, "Alright… alright…"

The intercom came to life and Clank's voice echoed through the room "Ratchet, did you find Abel?"

Ratchet helped Abel up and helped him out of the bathroom, "Yeah, I found him. I'm gonna get him to bed, then I'll head up to the bridge."

"Very well, I'll see you when you get here," Clank replied before the intercom cut off.

The two Lombax started to slowly walk towards Abel's bed. Ratchet held Abel with an arm around his waist while Abel had his arm over Ratchet's shoulders for support.

"Ratchet…. I… I…" Abel was starting to tense up, his voice becoming strained.

"Abel, what is it?" Ratchet said, stopping to give Abel his full attention.

--

"Ah, there is it, there's the fear I've been wanting to see!" Caine laughed

The ranger readied his weapon, "DON'T YOU DARE MO-"

-BOOM-

In a flash of red light, electricity shot out of Caine's fingertips and the glass before him shattered. The ranger had no time to react before he was impaled by Caine's blade.

"For such a bad ass, you certainly posed no threat to me…" Caine remarked.

"H-how… how did you…" The ranger could barely form words.

"Well… W13… That little blackout was all I needed to deactivate this defensive barrier that courses over the inside of that cell… you know it's very rude when you make it so I can't even lean against a wall… I'm the kinda guy that likes to relax every now and then. I mean what the hell is up with that? Hehehehe," Caine smirked as he twisted the blade.

"Gah… how do you know… my name?" The ranger struggled to form words.

"Hehehe… you were all so kind to bring me here. With the first step I took on this ship, I was able to hack into it's network, learn everything about it. I even have a wonderful little map of the ship right now in the lower left-hand corner of my sight showing me exactly where Ratchet and my brother are," Caine laughed viciously.

The ranger gasped.

"I think I'll leave you to suffer for now… Once I kill Ratchet and torture Abel, I'll move on to your former Captain… might even show her a good time!" Caine roared with laugher as he licked his lips.

"B…bastard!" The ranger tried to break free in vain.

"Indeed I am… you just sit here till I get back," Caine said with a smirk before he seemed to just vanish.

The ranger sunk to the floor, oil spilling out quickly, "Damnit…"

Just then, another ranger passed by the doorway.

"H-HEY!" he wheezed a bit, but managed to get the rangers attention who quickly ran to his aid. "Radio the bridge… EVERYONE! That… that bastard got out! He's going for the Captain!"

"Yes sir!" the rangered replied before calling the bridge with his ComLink. He started to tremble.

"Wha…what's wrong?!" W13 cried.

"The… the radio's… they've been jammed!"

"WELL, DON'T JUST SIT THERE! GO FIND SOMEONE!" W13 barked.

--

"Abel, please, tell me what's wrong," Ratchet begged.

"I'm… I'm so.." Abel started. Suddenly he leapt at Ratchet and they both fell to the ground with a loud thud, "I'M SO SORRY! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'M SORRY!" Abel cried, bawling with nothing held back.

Ratchet was unsure what to do, "Abel, it's okay…"

"No, no it isn't! You always try to help me, you always try to make me feel better when I'm upset, even if you are feeling depressed yourself! It's not fair for me to blow up on you like that! You meant well, and I just lashed out at you! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry…" Abel's cries died down to low sobbing.

"Abel, you don't have to apologize to me. I've been an ass to people before for less so I don't deserve your apologies. Just try to relax so that everything can get back to normal. I'm not angry at all and I should be the one apologizing to you," Ratchet placed his hands on Abel's shoulders, trying to comfort the Lombax sobbing above him.

Then, Abel muttered something that Ratchet couldn't understand.

"What? I didn't catch that, Abel," Ratchet asked.

Abel looked right into his eyes, "I… I love you."

Ratchet's eyes shot open, "You wha- MMMPH"

His words were cut off by Abel, their lips locked. Ratchet had no idea what to do, despite all the times today he had be dumbstruck, this took the cake. He hadn't even heard the sound of the door to the room opening.

Finally, he managed to regain some senses and push Abel so that he could breath again, "Uh…umm… A-Abel?"

Abel blinked, apparently not realizing what he had just done, "I… I… Ratchet, I'm… I didn-"

"Hooooooooly….. shit!" the voice came from above them, it was cold, dark, merciless.

Caine was hanging from above them, his clawed left hand digging into the ceiling, "My God… this is certainly not what I expected to find. HeheheheHAHAHAHA. THIS IS JUST TOO GOOD! You little fucking deviants!"

Both Abel and Ratchet lay there, not sure if they were really seeing Caine, not sure how he escaped, not sure what to do at all.

Caine dropped to the ground and landed at there feet, his sword drawn.

"Let's play a little game, Ratchet…"


	27. Retaliation

Caine cocked his head, "Ya know, I wasn't being literal when I said you two should get a room… Really, I mean… come on… This

Caine cocked his head, "Ya know, I wasn't being literal when I said you two should get a room… Really, I mean… come on… This is just too much."

Ratchet was unable to move, he had no clue what to do other than turn his gaze toward Abel. He could see that Abel's gaze wasn't fixed on anyone, he was glaring at the ground. Ratchet couldn't tell what he was feeling right now. Could it be shame or shock?

"Hmmm… not gonna say anything? No retort of any kind? Does my opinion of you little fairies really matter to you that much? Hehehehahaha…" He spun the blade by its tip on the ground for a bit, "Hmmm… you know, Abel. You've really screwed up this time. He'll be so disappointed when he learns you will never fulfill all of your obligations," he stopped the blade before chuckling.

Abel's eyes shot up at Caine at this comment.

"Obligations?" Ratchet asked, confused.

"Hehehe… you've seen what we can do, and that is only the tip of the iceberg in what we are capable of. It is our genetic obligations to father many offspring. I must say I've rather enjoyed fulfilling this particular duty. Hehehe!" Caine laughed as his free handed patted the area beside his crotch.

Both Ratchet and Abel looked at each other, then Ratchet looked back at Caine, "Who the hell would want to have sex with you?!"

"Hahaha, who said anything about them wanting to have sex with me? The way I see it, if the woman is more resistant, then I get to have more fun! HAHAHA!" Caine licked his lips.

"You sick bastard!" Ratchet started to try and get to his feet.

"Oh no we don't!" Caine quipped as he now stood over Ratchet, his foot holding the Lombax down on the ground. "Hehe, you know, I may be wrong in judging Abel so harshly. I mean, I was a little rough with all those women. Sure, I may have left most of them with broken necks or gaping holes in their torsos, but I'm sure those who I didn't see personally die, well… they probably still didn't live long enough to give birth… I'd say I'm quite the accomplished sadist!" Caine said, looking down at Ratchet with a smirk.

Ratchet struggled to speak with the foot pressing down on his chest "On top of… everything else… you're a-" he coughed a bit, "fucking… rapist, too?!"

"Huh, don't blow it out of proportion. I'll get my jollies however I please. Besides, all I did was make it a bit more painful. When it comes to sex, pain is always close by." Caine wrapped his fingers around his jaw in thought for a moment before giggling, "Hehehe, you know, I wonder. If I had come in here a minute later, would one of you be bent over learning this little truth, first hand?"

This left Ratchet snarling. Abel himself was beginning to tremble.

"Oh, what's the matter? I can't make of fun you?" Caine grinned as he applied a bit more pressure, enough to elicit a yelp from Ratchet, "You know, I've been thinking. I am Abel's brother, and as such I should avenge him when someone does something horrible to him. I will not blame him for this little situation… no, I'll hold you accountable! You are the one who seduced him! You are the one who would have bent him over for a little fun! So now I will remove the part of the equation that makes this all possible!"

Ratchet's eye went wide, "Wha-"

-SLAM-

Caine's blade landed between Ratchet's legs, mere millimeters from his tail, and not much farther from his crotch. He never once turned away from Ratchet, now adjusting his hand so that he could better pull the blade towards himself and his soon-to-be victim, "This will probably hurt."

"NO!" Ratchet struggled violently at this.

"Think happy thoughts!" Caine's arm tensed as he readied his arm for a strong pull, "Three, two… o-"

-BANG-

Ratchet blinked, he thought he was going to be in an immense about of pain. Instead, what he felt was Caine's foot leaving his chest, and his body falling over, lifeless as it hit the ground, blood pouring from a hole in the side of it's head.

Ratchet turned his head, seeing Abel, his eyes wide with anger and other emotion, a rifle in his hand, still smoking, "…Abel… Thank you… I-"

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Abel barked as Caine's body began to twitch and the blood stopped flowing from the wound.

Ratchet had only a second to move before Abel leapt over him; claws bared as he closed in on Caine who was starting to turn himself over to get up.

Caine only had a second to realize what was about to happen before he was barraged by punch after punch after punch from a rage-filled Abel.

"WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU?! WHY DO YOU HATE ME SO MUCH WHEN ALL I EVER DID WAS TRY TO MAKE YOU HAPPY?! WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO HURT RATCHET IN SUCH A WAY?!" Every word was emphasized with a punch to Caine's face, who's wide-eyed expression meant he was completely unable to process what was happening.

Ratchet felt himself backing away from the scene. He could only think that if Abel had done this to him in of their training sessions, he'd have been dead long ago.

Abel's fury only ceased when Caine caught his fists, "You little… bastard, I-"

-WHAM-

The sickening blow of Abel's headbutt cut off Caine's words. With his fists being held in place, he resorted to matching the speed of his punches with the speed of his newest assault. He continued bashing away until finally he was kicked off, rolling away and dizzy from his attack.

Caine tried to get up, bending one of his legs up, only to have it fall back down as he coughed, blood shooting out and landing around his mouth.

Ratchet rushed to Abel, pulling him close to look at his head, "Damn, that's a pretty bad ga-" he stopped talking when the wound began to heal itself, "Oh yeah, you heal fast too."

"We… we have to get out of here, before he-" Abel couldn't finish his sentence before Caine started to rise.

"You little… fuckers…" Caine spit out some blood as his face finished reforming itself into it's usual state.

He bent over to pick up his sword as the room began to get warmer, though Caine, unlike Ratchet, didn't seem to notice.

"Abel? ABEL?!" Ratchet cried as a flash of blue light filled the room and Caine fell to the ground with Abel's hands wrapped around his neck.

"YOU CAN'T HURT ANYONE IF YOU DIE!" Abel cried he focused all his attention on strangling his brother, "I NEVER WANTED THIS, I NEVER wanted… this!" His grip never ceased, but his sight was blurred by tears running down his face.

No one was able to notice the room was growing warm again, but none of them were the source this time. Ratchet only had time to notice the thin red light in the center of the room before-

-BOOM-

A thunderous sound came from the center of the room, everyone attention immediately shifting to it, but the found themselves blinded by a light, a haunting, almost demonic red light.

"Teleportation, completed. Troops, fan out and secure this area. I must gather data," said a cold, powerful voice as the light faded. It made Ratchet flinch.

As their vision returned, all the Lombaxes could see were figures, clad in black armor, completely overtaking the room. There armor was smooth, plain, did not do much to tell what they were beneath it. The only noticeable detail about it was that their helmets were formed with large ears and their lower armor also had a tail. However, the true sight to behold was the figure standing in the center of where the light had been.

Although Ratchet was unaware of what was going on, it was apparent that Abel did. The moment he saw them, the moment he saw the figure, all the color drained from his face. He didn't hesitate for long, instead he darted for the closest thing to hide under… his bed. It seemed that the armored troopers had either not seen him or did not care.

Now it was Caine's turn to realize what was happening. He turned to look and when his gaze fell on the figure in the center of the room, he too went white in the face, quickly backing away, coughing and wheezing all the while, as if trying to talk.

Ratchet had no idea who these people were or what they wanted. Perhaps it was his ignorance that left better able to take in the scene, this figure before them.

It was… gargantuan. The figure had be bigger than twice Ratchet's height and his width just as proportioned. Ratchet could already see menacing shoulder spikes and ear-like protrusion on the helmet over the figures beige fur cape. He shuddered to think of what animal could've provided such an immense pelt. However it was when the figure turned that Ratchet truly felt terror.

The figure was covered in black armor that was it in itself was covered with severe spikes along the arms, knees, and even more noticeably on the shoulders than before. The cape had hidden the fact that around his waist was another pelt of the same fur that draped down below his knee-caps. It had also hidden the blood-red markings that covered all of his armor. Finally, Ratchet's gazed at the helmet and he felt all the pain, humiliation, and anger that he had tried so hard to forget.

Those eyes…. Those red eyes…

Caine finally managed to regain his breath, "M… Master… Noir…"


	28. To Know

"N… Noir

"N… Noir?" Ratchet's head dropped down as he stared at the ground in a daze.

This immense figure, Noir, immediately began walking around the room, observing everything. He would snap his fingers and a digital reading would appear over his wrist, or digital clipboard would appear in his hand.

"Hmm… Starship Phoenix. Captained currently by a… Ratchet?" Noir seemed to cock his head at this, then he snapped his fingers and another "clipboard" formed.

Ratchet could only watch this being as he observed and collected data on him and the ship.

"Ah, here we go… Name: Ratchet…. Hmm, no last name… Species:… Lombax?" Noir's head snapped to face Ratchet, who jumped back. Noir began to walk toward him, "No known relatives. Orphan from the planet Veldin. Considered by many to be a great pan-galactic hero. Hmm… small world after all."

"Wha- what is that supposed to mean?" Ratchet asked, puzzled.

Noir seemed to ignore him, "Obviously male, green eyes, healthy fur, apparent conditioning of muscles. Facial expressions would suggest the subject has suffered mental/emotional strain."

"Hey, answer me!" Ratchet demanded.

"Perhaps a death of rel- no, I've already stated that relatives are not a part of the equation. Perhaps a friends passing, perhaps trauma physically perhaps-"

"STOP FUCKING IGNORING ME!" Ratchet roared, his fists balled.

"Very well, I've seen enough of the data that these databases can provide. You are rather interesting. Would you agree to let me examine you?" Noir inquired.

"E- examine?" Ratchet blinked.

"Yes, I am a scientist. These bits of data can only tell me so much about you. Would allow me to examine you fully. It would be a bit painful, considering I would need skin samples, blood samples, the like. Probes would be necessary as well. You would need a recovery period. It may be painful, but I would be very grateful for your assistance," Noir finished, ignoring Ratchet's quickly darkening expression.

"Probe me? PROBE ME?" Ratchet screamed.

"Indeed, I… wait… that mark on your shoulder. Have I examined you before? Have you met Nero?"

"Ne- NERO?!" Ratchet almost instantly leapt at Noir, fangs and claws bared, "TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM!"

Then, Ratchet stopped moving, he was frozen in place by an unseen force, floating in the air; Noir's arm extended before him.

"You will calm yourself or I will be forced to act in a way that you will not like…" Noir warned, "Nero is my colleague, my brother."

Ratchet's jaw dropped.

"While I must respect my brother as a scientist, Nero has rather questionable methods of raising younglings. Speaking of which, where is Abel? I trust that you know," Noir asked.

"Why should I tell yo-"

-SLAM-

"GAH!" Ratchet cried as he was slammed into the wall by Noir, who was holding him by the neck.

"You will not waste my time, especially after that little assault. If you do not comply, I will forced to take extreme measures…" Noir stated coldly.

"Fu..ck you…" Ratchet said with much difficulty, grabbing and clawing and the armored hands that held him.

"Suit yourself…"

-SHINK-

Ratchet almost went into shock. He now had a long blade protruding from his right shoulder. He knew he should have been in agony, but the fact that he felt nothing scared him even more.

"This little device is of my own creation… I call it the 'Switch' and it called that with good reason. Do you see this red button?" Noir asked as his thumb caressed the noted button.

Ratchet grunted.

"If I flip this, you will be put through the most extreme of agonies. You will go into shock, brain cells will be killed, and you more than likely will be left a vegetable. That is… if I leave it on for more than five seconds," Noir said as he tightened his grip on Ratchet's neck slightly.

"Yeah, I say flip it, Master," Caine chimed in with enthusiasm, "he should suffer for his arro-"

"YOU WILL HOLD YOUR TONGUE, CAINE!" Noir barked, immediately silencing his servant.

Ratchet chuckled weakly at this.

Noir noticed this, "Hmm… laughing during such a situation. Admirable… but foolish."

-click-

Ratchet couldn't scream, he couldn't think, couldn't breath, couldn't do a single thing when the pain shot through him like lightning. There were no words to accurately describe it, but it felt like it lasted for years.

-click-

Ratchet desperately tried to breath, wheezing and coughing without being able to do much else. He was able to notice that his pants were wet, feeling humiliated by bladder's lack of control.

"Well, that was about half a second. I hope my point has been made. However, I perhaps have used too much force. You may very well be unable to think… no matter. The nanomachines shall leave no trace of the blade," Noir remarked as he withdrew the blade and Ratchet dropped to the ground with a thud.

Ratchet could barely think while he still pain throughout his body. He was only able to take a glimpse at his shoulder. His eyes widened when he found that there was no wound.

Noir walked around the room a bit more, "Abel, come out and speak to me. I have not seen you in quite some time."

No answer.

"Abel?" Noir's voice was calm.

No answer still.

"Aaaabel?" His voice gained a hint of anger.

Only the sound of Ratchet's labored breathing and the faint sound of running in the distance could be heard.

Then Noir's eyes narrowed.

"Tsk…. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABEEEEEEEEEEEL!!" Noir voice roared throughout the ship with a monstrous boom that shook the walls and shattered the screen of the holo-vid. The deafening noise blocked out all other sounds and made Ratchet cry out as best he could from the pain in his ears.

The noise ended and a sniffling could be heard.

"Found…" Noir remarked as he walked toward Abel's bed.

Ratchet could only reach out hand helplessly.

With an effortless motion, Abel's bed slammed against the wall and Abel scrambled to get away, screaming for his life, a look of complete terror on his face.

"Stop him…" Noir commanded.

The troops surrounded Abel and within seconds he was knocked to the ground. Noir was looming over them soon after. He kneeled down before Abel and grabbed him by the arm, leaving Abel to struggle helplessly.

"You act as if I would take the same liberty in disciplining you as I do with Caine or any of these other subjects. Despite how important you are to us, it is Nero who must handle you, not I… Now quit struggling and regain your composure before I am forced to make you behave!" Noir finished that statement with a low growl that Abel immediately obeyed.

"Master…" Caine said, cautiously.

"What is it, Caine?" Noir said, obviously annoyed.

"I have to tell you! Abel is a devia-"

There was a sound of metal hitting metal as a grenade hit the ground and bounced.

-BOOM-

The room filled with smoke as Sasha's voice cried out, "DISARM ALL OF THEM!"

The sounds of a stuggle filled the room and died down as the smoke faded.

Ratchet was smiling, but it faded when he saw the scene, "D… damn it…"

The black-clad troopers had disarmed all of the rangers. Each one had their hands up in surrender as the troopers had their sights on their heads. Sasha growled in anger, a blade to her neck with Caine grinning behind her.

"Well, I must say… I'm impressed. I never once heard your little ragtag group sneak up to this room. I suppose it was foolish of me to not keep the motion sensors on… No matter…" Noir said with a bored tone.

"Hehehe… Can we eliminate them, Master?" Caine asked with glee.

Noir thought for a moment, "Hmm…"

"Please! D- don't! Don't hurt them!" Abel pleaded, his eyes watering.

"Hmm, will you behave then?" Noir inquired.

"… Yes"

"Very well… " Noir said as he rose up, his size causing a few of the rangers to tremble. "Now, Caine… what is this about Abel?"

"He's a fucking deviant!" Caine cackled.

Noir's eyes visible widened behind the lenses of his helmet, "A deviant?" He looked down at Abel, who was trembling. "What do you mean?"

Caine smirked victoriously, "I saw him-"

"Shut the… fuck… up, Caine!" Ratchet demanded as he slowly rose to a sitting position, his body trembling a bit.

Caine turned around fast and raised a foot to stomp on Ratchet.

"CAINE, CEASE THAT AT ONCE!" Noir roared.

Caine's foot stopped instantly as his head turned to his master in shock.

"After assessing the situation, it has become clear to me that being here is no longer necessary. Abel, you will come with me and I will return you to Nero. Caine, you will immediately return to your quarters until I have to time to reprimand you for so many disappointments you have cause me today. Those of you in this room who are among the Galactic Rangers… Forget what you have seen here today. You will live much happier lives if you do." Noir said with a emotionless tone, tapping his wrist as a bright light began to form. "Teleportation in five… four… "

Ratchet mustered as much strength as he could to get to his feet. Without hesitation, he leapt for Noir and Abel, hoping to pull Abel away in time.

"One…"

-SHOOM-

The light flashed it brightest and engulfed Ratchet, who could only close his eyes. He tried to reach out for Abel, but felt nothing other than a force he couldn't describe. It was a powerful force that sent shockwaves through his body. He tried to resist it, but eventually the force became too great. He suddenly slipped into unconsciousness.

--

"Watch after him, I implore you. This drama is well crafted and you will no doubt have difficulty discerning what is true and what is a fabrication. I pray you will see the truth and learn who is truly there to help you…"

"What? AH, it's you again! WHO ARE YOU?!"

"You must face the demon's fortress before that answer will come…"

--

Ratchet felt really good. He had no clue why he felt this good. Like sitting in a nice hot bath.

-slosh… splash-

He cocked an eyebrow without opening his eyes. That sounded to him like what one would hear coming from a nice hot bath. Curiosity got the best of him and his eyes opened.

"YOU'RE AWAKE!" Abel cried as he jumped onto Ratchet, water splashing everywhere.

A look of scorn was on the figures above them. Scowls plastered on their yellow faces, their yellow, brown-striped ears twitching with annoyance.

Ratchet blinked, he WAS in a bath, and he was being bathed by…

"LOMBAXES?!" Ratchet shot up, hitting his head against Abel's, "OW!"

"That… wasn't smart…" Abel winced.

"Fuckin' idiots…" A voice came from beside Ratchet, who turned to look.

"CAINE?!" Ratchet cried, nearly jumping out of the water when he saw the killer Lombax, who was also sitting in the same large tub as them, sulking as he too was washed by identical looking Lombaxes.

"God, don't scream like that! I'm trying to relax…" Caine growled.

Ratchet looked around a bit, completely confused, "What the hell is going on?! Abel, why is Caine not trying to kill us?!"

Abel giggled, "He's either too tired from the beating he just got from Noir, or it's the fact that Noir ordered him not hurt us in any way from now on… on threat of having his nanotech removed and then being castrated."

"Fuck you… you think it's so goddamn funny, huh?" Caine snarled, sinking a bit into his area of the tub.

"I intend to make you unbearably miserable… I won't ever forgive you for how you've hurt me and Ratchet… not to mention how much pain you've caused so many others..." He said with a rather cold tone as he held onto Ratchet tightly.

Ratchet winced at the embrace, but took a moment to further inspect his surroundings. Everything was black with red trim. He peeked over the side of the tub's railing to see the floor. It was a glossy, glowing white; a very odd contrast to walls.

Then he remembered the other Lombaxes, "Abel, what's with everyone here, why didn't you tell me there were so many Lombaxes?!"

Abel sighed, "It's not really what you think it is. They are Lombaxes, but… umm… I'll explain it later… Just look at their heads."

Ratchet did, and he blinked. They all had a number on their foreheads, three digits. He saw numbers that ranged from "034" to "517". Then he saw their necks. Each one had a bar-code as well.

"What in the world?" Ratchet said, gawking at what he saw.

"Hehehe… life in mass-production," Caine remarked as he held out his leg for a Lombax to scrub.

Ratchet looked at him puzzled, "What the hell's that supposed to mean?!"

"Don't worry about it right now, just relax. I'm safe, your safe, and Caine's as deadly as a piece of cotton," Abel remarked with a goofy smile, "All is we- OW!" Abel cried as a bar of soap that was lobbed at him hit it's mark.

"I said to shut the fuck up, DAMMIT!" Caine barked as he stood up from the tub, stepping out and stomping off into the distances, a Lombax chasing after him with a towel.

Ratchet sat there for a bit, trying to relax. Finally, he spoke, "Abel, have I gained your trust?"

Abel tightened his grip on Ratchet as one of the numbered Lombaxes scrubbed his hair, "Y…yes… A hundred fold."

"I want you to know that I'm not angry at you… about anything that's happened. I won't be angry about anything that does happen."

Abel buried his head into Ratchet's chest, "Thank you…"

"Abel… why did you hesitate to say 'yes' earlier?"

"I think I know what you really want to ask me…" Abel said with a shaky voice.

Ratchet sighed, "Alright, I'll just ask it…."

There was a painfully long pause, before Ratchet took a deep breath.

"What is your master's name?"

Abel let out a shaky sigh…

"Nero…"

I hope the sudden change of tone after the scene shifts does not upset anyone. To put it simply, things have changed in the story now. I felt the sudden light-heartedness was necessary.

Act 1 ends with this chapter.

Now the real story begins.


	29. Everyone has a Job to Do

Yes, yes, I know. I take forever to update don't I D:

Well, the Fall Semester of college has started and that is the key factor that is keeping me from doing anything much right now. I just hope I haven' lost my readers D:

I promise this story will not end prematurely. There is no reason why it would aside from me suddenly going into a coma xD

Anyway, now that we have gotten away from familiar R&C territory, I will start having several new characters pop up with interesting little characteristics and stuff like that. I will not be surprised if people get confused by some of the stuff that happens, but don't worry people. I've had this crap planned out for a while so I'm not just making it up as I go for the most part xDDD

Enjoy

* * *

Ratchet fell to the ground, he looked up with wide eyes, "NO, DON'T!"

BANG!

... Reverse the images, earlier scene.

"Everything will be fine." Ratchet smiled, "Sure, strange things have happened and I'm not sure what to make of some of it, but I'm not going to let that get in the way of my friendships with you or anyone else. I promise."

"Thank you..."

... Fast forward to a more recent time by my own personal time lines.

Ratchet grinned, "Hehehe, yes... I agree. Let it all burn!"

... That scene, it gives me a headache. It's fuzzy, not a guarantee, but still a high percentage.

"Who's there?"

... Hmmmmm...

"Hello?"

... Errors... Problems...

"HELLO?! WHO ARE YOU?"

... You are interrupting my studies... You should be able to speak to me... Lombax...

"Who are you? All I see is a... golden light?"

... And that is all that you will see of me...

"Are you... God?"

... What an interesting question considering the point and time from which you speak. You do not know me... yet, but you ask a question that makes leads me to believe you know more than actually should...

"W-WHAT?!"

... The simple answer is... no. Though, some have also asked me that question because of my gifts. However, I am a being a circumstance and not something so mythical...

"Who are y-"

... Do not disrupt the flow of Time, the balance of Space, with such a question when you are not yet supposed to have an answer.

"What are you talking about?"

... Hmmm, but perhaps you are supposed to ask this question, without my answering, but you are still to ask it. Yes, I ask myself to confirm this, and indeed I do. I am asked by myself this question, and I gladly give that very answer. Existence still exists, life goes on, so it must have been meant to be.

"You are not making any sense! And the way you talk, it bothers me! It's so strange! JUST GIVE ME A STRAIGHT ANSWER!"

... If you demand answers be given to you, disappointment is your only future...

"I AM SO SICK AND TIRED OF THESE CRYPTIC CONVERSATIONS! I have been assaulted, molested, violated, and dumbstruck, yet no one is willing to give me a GODDAMN ANSWER TO ONE FUCKING QUESTION!"

... If one is answered before the appropriate time, a thousand more will take it's place...

"... Fine... I don't care anymore. I don't know how I got here, I don't even remember where I was before this... I just want to close my eyes and-"

--

Ratchet's eyes opened, "... wake up?"

Ratchet rose up to find himself still in the tub, suddenly remembering everything from earlier. After Abel had said his masters name, he cried for a while, begging Ratchet to forgive him, though Ratchet was pretty sure that Abel didn't completely understand Ratchet antagonistic feelings towards this "Nero". Every time, Ratchet had to tell him that he wasn't angry with him.

Finally, Abel stopped sobbing, apparently having fallen asleep. Ratchet thought for a while before those numbered Lombaxes came back requesting to finish cleaning him. He told them to "fuck off", but they only asked again. After a while, he gave up and let them scrub him. He found it relaxing, apparently enough that he drifted off to sleep.

Now he was back in the present, but all the numbered Lombaxes were gone, and Abel was too. Suddenly, another realization finally fully hit him.

"Holy shit, Abel, Caine, and I aren't the only ones!" Ratchet jumped at the thought, but quickly falling face-first onto the ground outside the tub with a wet thud. "Ooooouch..."

Before he knew it, one of the Numbered rushed to his aid and helped him up. "Are you alright, sir?"

Ratchet rubbed his sore nose for a moment before looking at the smaller lombax before him, "Yeah... I'm fine, umm, 364, but please don't call me 'sir'."

364 blinked. "Then what shall I refer to you as? Guest, lord, master?"

"Please, just call me Ratchet" Ratchet smiled, but his smile faded when the little lombax had a terrified look on his face. "What's the matter?!"

"Please don't make me do that!" The little one cried, falling to his knees and clinging to Ratchet legs with a painfully tight grip.

"WHY? Gah- What's wrong?" Ratchet cried, trying desperately to pry the kid off of his legs while not falling over.

"HEY!"

Ratchet looked up quickly at another Lombax who was running toward them. "Shit, what now?" he cursed under his breath.

The new Lombax finally reached them, his outfit, like all the others, was a black, latex-like material that, in his case, showed him to have a very scrawny figure, though he was about Ratchet's height. On his forehead were the numbers 411.

"364, let go of his leg this instant!" 411 demanded.

Without a moments hesitation, 364 was off of Ratchet and back on his feet, albeit sniffling.

"Umm, did I miss something? Why did he freak out?" Ratchet asked, annoyed.

411 laughed, "I'm sorry, it is just that in his case and those like him, it would be extremely out-of-line to address someone by anything other than a formal title. Acknowledging first names of those who are of importance would be extremely rude. It's punishable."

Ratchet got a worried look on his face before he kneeled down to get eye level with 364, "Umm, in that case, just call me 'sir'."

364 nodded, then smiled, "Yes, sir!"

364 quickly ran off as 411 walked up to Ratchet, "Well, now that we've settled that, shall I take you to Abel, Ratchet?"

Now Ratchet blinked, "Wait a minute, what about that whole, 'extremely rude to call others by their first name' thing?"

"That applies to 364, the rest of the young-lings, and anyone else who is not like you, Caine, Abel, myself, and handful of others who have certain jobs here," while 411 was talking, Ratchet failed to realize that they were now walking down the hallway.

"So what exactly do you... do?" Ratchet asked, a bit cautiously.

"I am an intellectual hub. I bring necessary knowledge to others here on this ship. When a young-ling has been given a purpose, it is my job to inform them of how to complete that task. It leaves Master Noir with far more time to work on his projects and enhance the standard of living for all who are here."

"... Noir," Ratchet shivered. "What can you tell me about him?"

"Master Noir is a our master. He stands at about 9'7" and weighs approximately-"

"That's not what I want to know... I mean, what does he do, who does he work for, how is connected to Nero!?" Ratchet asked in annoyance.

411 twitched, "I'm sorry, but Master Noir would reprimand me harshly for revealing anything about him or any of those he works with. You would have to ask him yourself... that is, if he would even feel he had to answer you."

Ratchet was beginning to feel angry, "Then can you at least tell me about all these Lombaxes?!"

411 cocked his head, "Tsk, well... hmm... The progenitors we-"

Ratchet locked in on this as 411 realized what he had said, a look of terror appearing his face as he stopped in his tracks, "THAT WORD?! What the hell are these 'Progenitors'?! Caine called me that once!"

"Ummm... I, I shouldn't have said that. I am not allowed to talk them!" 411 cried. "I... I'll simply show you to Abel's quarters. Please, no more questions like that. I apparently cannot hold my tongue on such important matters today..."

Ratchet growled, "... Fine, but will Abel tell me anything?!"

411 began to walk again as Ratchet followed, "I... I see no reason why he cannot be more informative. It is to my understanding that although Abel is expected to be respectful to Master Noir, he is not under the same restrictions as the rest of us."

Ratchet smiled, "That's actually a relief to hear."

--

They stood before a large door, obviously big enough to accommodate someone of Noir's stature.

"Abel is in here," 411 commented, pulling a small cylindrical object. "Hold still."

Without a response from Ratchet, 411 stabbed the object into Ratchet's arm like a syringe.

"GAH! That hurt, goddammit!" Ratchet cried, backing off and standing in a more defensive pose.

"Please don't over-react, I simply took some blood so that you could enter the room from now on without my help," 411 stated as he placed the object onto a small panel by the doorway and entered a seven-digit code.

The red light above the panel turned green and the door opened to the sound of humming up toward the ceiling.

Ratchet stepped inside and door shut behind him, making him jump. He looked back to see that 411 had not followed.

He shrugged, and then looked around the room. It was astounding. There was elegant furniture all around the room. Dressers, tables, chairs, desks. What looked like an canvas with a rough sketch could be seen. There were paintings pinned to the walls which had themselves been painted on. Ratchet's eyes slowly found their way to a large bed in the center of the room

It was then he realized that the sheets and pillows of the bed were the only blue thing in the room of black, red, and white, aside from the colors found in each painting.

He looked around, but couldn't find Abel. All he could hear was that same melodic hum.

"Abel? Are you in here?"

"Up here!"

Ratchet looked up and his jaw dropped. There was Abel, hanging upside down, with his legs wrapped around a bar, as he painted part of the wall with a brush in one hand and a pallete in the other.

"How in the world did you get up there?!" Ratchet said, astonished. "Did you jump?!"

"Duh!" Abel chuckled before swinging himself up so that he was sitting on the bar before jumping off and landing quietly on the ground. He set his equipment down and then turned to look at Ratchet.

Ratchet had to think for a moment before he realized what was odd about Abel's appearance.

Abel's hair was no longer pulled back. Instead, he had the front parted into long bangs the fell to the sides of his face. The rest still fell behind him like before. His attire had also changed. He was wearing a light blue and dark grey shirt, that had a mesh design on the sides as well as blue stripes that reminded Ratchet of his own natural stripes across his sides. The sleeves seemed like a regular T-shirt, under those sleeves began new, lighter blue ones that completely covered the rest of his arms. Even his hands weren't visible, covered by black leather gloves.

His pants, cut off just a few inches above the ankles, were black and lined with an oddly brilliant blue. Although part of his legs were visible, they were quickly covered by his shoes. They looked like they were made of an odd blue metal.

It was quite a departure from the white color that Abel had exclusively worn for all that time on the Phoenix.

"Wow, you look... different," Ratchet said with a smile.

Abel smirked, "And you look," his eyes trailed, "... cold."

Ratchet blinked, "Wha- I'm a little wet, but-" he began to look over himself when he suddenly realized what Abel meant and instinctively covered himself.

"THEY TOOK MY CLOTHES?! THE HELL?!" Ratchet cried.

Abel giggled, "Well, they were dirty. Besides, it's not like anyone here cares that your butt was on display." Abel saw the look in Ratchet's, "Nor your dangly bits."

Ratchet finally stood up straight and let his arms fall to his sides, "Well goody, but for my own comfort... can I get some pants?"

Abel laughed, "Sure."


	30. Artistic Spectrum

See? I'm trying to update faster xD

I'm thinking starting another story as well that'll be a Silent Hill fanfic (don't worry, this story gets priority over any new endeavors)

* * *

Ratchet finished dressing by tugging gently on his new shirt, "Much better!"

Abel didn't turn to look while he was adding details to part of his wall art, "Glad you like it."

Ratchet gave himself a once-over. He attire was very dark aside from the greens found on it. He wore a sleeveless shirt that had a similar design to Abel's on the torso. The areas of blue on Abel's shirt were a similar shade of green, but grey areas of Abel's shirt were drastically darker on Ratchet's. There was little difference between the pants. The main differences being that Ratchet had brilliant green linings on his and that they fully covered his legs.

In terms of shoes, Ratchet was provided with shoes that were almost identical to Abel's, but in his case, they had a much less detailed design.

He sighed in relief of being clothed again and began looking at all the massive painting on the walls. He first looked at one of Angels, though he could not determine what species they were. They were floating around clouds, some playing flutes, some playing harps, and each one had this tranquil look upon their face.

The next was of a meadow. There were animals in various positions, either eating the grass, running about, or sleeping comfortably. It was a very peacable depiction.

Then there was a picture of a city. It was apparently a busy day in this two-dimensional metropolis. A few people could be clearly seen walking along a one of the sky-walks. Though their faces showed happiness, the city took away from this emotion through it's activity that could be seen everywhere else.

After that, he came upon a picture of a field of snow with a single figure in the center. She was beautiful to Ratchet. A lombax woman he had never seen before. She had almost snow-white fur, here stripes were a very pale shade of brown. These pale colors forced Ratchet to lock in on her eyes. They held the most amazing shade of blue he had ever seen, a shade he never knew possible. However, despite her eyes luster, she was surrounded by a lesser shade of blue. It was then that he noticed her mouth and he realized the full impact of her face. Sadness, it was the emotion of this piece.

He quickly moved on to the next and was startled. This one showed a mighty warrior, his species masked by his armor that hid every inch of his. His armor was both magnificent and menacing. His helmet's face only showed fury, and a deep one at that.

Ratchet moved even faster to the next one and was shocked. Devastation, red destruction was all he could see in this painting. The clouds that reminded him of the clouds of the first picture were ablaze with red, the meadow was nothing but ash, the city laid in ruin, no snow field amidst the fire, and in the center stood the warrior, his fury ever-present.

Ratchet had to look away, "Abel, what is this?"

Abel gave a final touch to the final picture before stepping away, "I call them all 'The Spectrum', though I feel I put too much into the final and not enough into the first to counterbalance the effect that the last gives."

"The last one is rather... strong," Ratchet said, a bit uneasy.

"Your right, to hell with it!" Abel replied with a cheerful tone.

He stepped up to the painting and touched it. It shimmered for a minute, then, without another moment, the large paintings vanished; erased.

"A- ABEL?! What did you do? Why did you get rid fo them all?" Ratchet cried, stunned.

"If one part of the piece is bad, it takes away from all of them. It's better to just do away with the entire thing and start over," Abel replied.

"B... but there were all beautiful. Hell, the last was amazing, just unsettling! You didn't have to do that," Ratchet said.

"Well, I suppose you are right on that. However, as I said, there was a flaw in the artwork that took away from it, but that is not the only reason I did it," Abel remarked.

"Okay, what was the other reason?"

"I had just put the finishing touches on it it. I was done. So I erased it all to start on something new," Abel said with a smile.

"So... you were gonna erase it anyway?" Ratchet blinked.

"Yep," Abel said with a giggle.

Ratchet rubbed his temple at that while Abel started on a new masterpiece.

--

Ratchet was sitting on the bed, looking at his hands, listening to the sound of Abel's brush hitting the wall. He was staring as hard as he could at them, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"AH HA!" Ratchet cried.

Abel stopped he was doing instantly, "What? What happened?"

"I just figured out what was wrong with this picture, I need gloves!" Ratchet said with a goofy smile.

Abel rolled his eyes and dropped to the ground as Ratchet looked up to see him fall, and his jaw dropped.

"ABEL?!"

Abel landed softly, "What?!"

"The walls... you're... done?"

Abel looked back over his shoulder and smiled, "Almost."

"But, that only took... half an hour?!"

"Nothing unusual about that..." Abel grinned.

Ratchet took in the sight. It was all one piece. A large valley with tall grass, swaying gently in the wind. There was large tree in the distance that cast an enormous shadow. In the center of the piece was a hill. On top of it sat two figures, both facing the horizon with their backs to the viewer.

"Wow... is... is that me and you?" Ratchet said, almost dumbstruck.

"It's interpretive. I didn't draw any real features on the two characters. At this moment, it's up to the viewer who they are. Like I said before, it's 'almost' done."

Ratchet scratched his head, trying to remember where he had seen this before, but he couldn't.

"Here!"

Ratchet turned just in time to catch the gloves Abel had thrown to him, "OH! Thanks!"

"Anytime," Abel smiled.

--

The gloves were a bit of a pain to get on, but they felt like heaven to Ratchet. The inner material was impossible for him to put his finger on what it was, but it was comfortable none-the-less. The fully covered his hand and part of his wrists like his old gauntlet-style gloves, but these an addition. It was like a second glove, they came up to about half-way up his forearm and they held tight there, but the rest seemed to just hang loosely around his arm until it reached his hands. The addition was why they had given him some trouble, but more than likely was also the reason that felt so good.

"These kick ass!" Ratchet remarked.

Abel laughed, "Glad you think s-"

BEEP!

Abel turned quickly to see the light about the entrance to his room was blinking.

"Crap, we gotta go," Abel said with annoyance.

"Why?" Ratchet asked.

"The Master of this ship wants an audience with me... and by extension... you."

"Noir?! Oh, he'll get an audience!" Ratchet stated as he trotted for the door.

Abel hurried after him, "Hold it, Ratchet!"

"What?!" Ratchet asked, annoyed.

"You can't barge in there. Noir will be furious!" Abel said, a concerned look on his face.

"So?!" Ratchet asked with a growl.

"You need to be more... tactful with someone like him. Look, just follow my lead," Abel said with a grin.

"...Tsk, fine."

"Goody," Abel quipped with a giggle as the door in front of him opened as he turned to go through it.

He jumped, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


	31. Even the Odds

Hmmm, not to sure if the end of this one turned out properly. You be the judge :D

* * *

Abel hit the ground with a hard thud and yelp, "YEOW! My... ass!"

Ratchet ran to Abel's side and helped him up, "Are you alright?"

"Y... yeah," Abel replied, wincing as he rubbed his backside. "411, you idiot!"

Without a moments hesitation, 411 popped out from around the doorway with a furious look on his face, "Don't scare me like that! And who are you are calling an idiot? I'll have you know that everyone else here looks up to me as a beacon of wisdom!"

"Oh, I'm sure they do," Abel retorted, ignoring the fact that Ratchet was trying to hold in a laugh at the situation.

411 gave an agitated sigh, "Look, I just came to fetch you. Noir wants you in the control room, immediately."

"I figured that much," Abel stated.

"Then let's go!" 411 demanded.

--

They had only been walking for a few minutes before Abel finally had to speak.

"Okay, why are you giggling?" He asked Ratchet.

"I," Ratchet had a hard time forming words, "I've never seen you jump like just to fall on your ass. That was so funny!" He finally burst with laughter, even getting a giggle out of 411 who was walking ahead of them.

"Oh to hell with you guys," Abel retorted before giving Ratchet a shove that he thought was light.

BANG!

The two who were still walking stopped instantly. 411 immediately turned around to look at a wide-eyed Abel who's arm was outstretched to where Ratchet had been standing.

Both of the lombaxes slowly turned their heads to see Ratchet slumped down with his back to the wall, a dizzy look on his face and mumble something about not wanting to go to school tomorrow.

"Oh God, Ratchet! I'm so sorry!" Abel cried as he rushed to the dazed lombax.

Ratchet sat there for a moment before he lifted his head a bit and blinked, "... ouch... my head... my... ass..."

--

After Ratchet recovered from his own medicine, they resumed their walk to the control.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Abel asked to Ratchet who was still walking funny.

"Oh yeah, I'm stellar. I'll just remember that that's a good reason not to mess with you when you have a bad day," Ratchet said with a weak grin.

Abel sighed a bit before returning his gaze toward the seemingly endless hall. He then noticed the door they had just passed by, "Hey, we just missed it!"

"No, we didn't. That was the old control room. Noir felt it necessary to have a new control room with a much larger floor space. I suppose that old one could still be used, but no one goes in there anymore. I'll have to ask him if anything can be accessed from there," 411 replied, his last sentence, however, seemed to be more directed towards himself.

Abel simply replied with a "huh" while Ratchet winced at the pain his rear.

--

"It's just around this corner," 411 replied.

"About friggin' time..." Ratchet commented, finally walking properly again.

"I agree," Abel remarked.

They turned the corner and began walkings towards a set of doors far larger than the ones for Abel's room. They all stopped before it.

"Well, here goes nothing," Abel said, "You think we should wai-"

BOOM!

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Ratchet yelled.

411 quickly found the panel for the door and pressed the button on it, causing the door fly open.

Everyone caught just a brief of the agonized expression on Caine's battered and bloodied face before he fell through the doorway and hit the ground with a sickening thud.

"Holy hell!" Both Ratchet and Abel said at the same time.

"411, you are excused. The rest of you... ENTER! That includes you, Caine!"

Ratchet had only a split second to see 411 running off as fast he could before Abel pushed him through the doorway.

Noir let out a sigh, "Abel, drag your brother in here. It seems he cannot hear me."

Abel turned and looked down at he very dazed and beaten brother before bending over, grabbing the lombax's tail, and pulling him into the room.

Both Ratchet and Abel jumped when the looked back towards Noir, only to find that he was now towering over them.

Noir grabbed Caine with lightning-fast speed and held him by the arm so that he was at eye-level. "Wake up..."

Caine remained silent.

Ratchet only saw Noir's barely-visible eyes narrow behind the lenses of his helmet for a split second before the red marks on his jet black armor began to glow.

The was a flash of light and Caine screamed. Red electricity visibly surged over him from Noir's hand.

The current stopped and so did Caine's screams, replaced only be the sound of heavy breathing as Noir released his smoking servant. Caine hit the ground with a heavy thud. He tried to steady himself into a kneeling position before he began to cough violently.

Ratchet could have sworn he saw Caine cough up blood, but he felt no sympathy. Abel, on the other hand, had a very pained expression and Ratchet noticed.

"You shouldn't feel sorry for him," Ratchet stated, moving his hand to put it on Abel's shoulder.

"Could you watch your own brother suffer?" Abel said with a cold tone before pushing off Ratchet's hand. "He should be punished, but... not like this..."

Caine began to rise to his feet, his wounds visibly healing with every passing second.

Noir was now sitting in a rather large chair in front of the hundreds of monitors in the room, "Inform me when your body is completely healed," he said with an emotionless tone.

Ratchet turned to Abel, "Look, I can understand the whole 'brotherly love' thing, but in this case he does share it with you. What brother do you know that does what he has done? You would be so much happier if you would ju-"

"Shut up. You only know the monster. I knew him when he was my brother, happy, and caring. I want him to pay for the pain he's caused, but I'll damned if someone's gonna tell me I can't hold on to my memories. You don't kno-"

"I'm done," Caine stated, cutting Abel off.

"Good... Abel, step forward," Noir commanded.

"Why?" Abel asked.

"Do it, or I will make you do it," Noir said with a hint of annoyance.

"Fine, but you know good and well you can't lay a finger on me..." Abel said as he walked forward and stood next to Caine.

"Hmph, how very blunt. You will need some disciplining yourself," Noir stated as he revealed two black bracelets, one in each hand.

Abel's and Caine's fur stood on end and a look of horror was shared by the brothers.

"And perhaps this shall come as a form of discipline. The looks on your faces tells me that your early adolescence has not escaped either of you. It seems you both remember these inhibitor bracelets, no?" Noir's word carried a hint of satisfaction that left a bad taste in Ratchet's mouth.

"Both of you will now hold out your left hand," Noir demanded.

"What the hell are you making them wear?" Ratchet growled.

"You shall see. Think of it as a insurance policy," Noir replied. "Now, both of you, present your arms!"

Caine visibly reluctant, but he finally held out his arm and the bracelet was placed on it. A clicking signaled that is was tightly secured.

Abel, however, simply stood there. His expression showed that he was terrified.

"I'm not going to ask again, Abel. Present your arm to me, or I will force it on you. If that happens, I can almost guarantee a broken bone or two and I know that you won't want that with this bracelet on," Noir with a undefinable tone.

Ratchet rushed forward, "WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?! I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND HAVE YOU THREATEN HIM LIKE THIS!" He pointed at the bracelet on Caine's wrist, "What the hell is that thing?!"

With his empty hand, Noir tapped the arm rest of his chair, "Hmmm, Abel, keep in mind that it is through my hospitality that this friend of yours can be a guest here. Misbehavior from you could change that..."

Abel's eyes grew just a bit wider with that and his hand shot up, "...You win..."

--

Abel just stood there staring at the bracelet while Ratchet was nervously looking at him, "Abel?"

Caine, however, kept tapping his, "Well, when is this thing going to kick in?"

"Now," Noir replied with tap of the keypad.

Both Caine and Abel suddenly tensed up. Their fur stood on end they both look like their very souls were being pulled out of them from the look on their faces. Despite their faces, neither made a sound.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO THEM?" Ratchet cried as he grabbed Abel.

"Safety first," Noir commented.

"YOU SON OF A-"

THUD, THUD!

Both Caine and Abel hit the ground, panting heavily. Their body trembled as they tried to stand, both failing at this several times.

"Oh god, Abel! Are you alright?!" Ratchet cried as he tried to help Abel to his feet. "What the hell did you do?!" He roared at Noir.

"As of this moment, the nanotech that courses through their bodies is now inactive. Their strength, speed, and regenerative abilities are now on par with your own, Ratchet. Of course, this does not apply to intelligence," Noir said coldly.

Ratchet narrowed his eyes at the insult, "So you just cut off Abel's only defense against that monster?!"

Noir gave a dark laugh, "I also cut off Caine's defenses against Abel's apparent fury. Had he not had the nanotech himself, asphyxiation would likely have been his demise when I found you three on that ship."

Ratchet looked over Abel, then back at Noir, "This nanotech... where does it come from?"

"It is the product of refining blood that has special properties. Code the properties into the specialy designed nanotech and then inject the concoction into the subject. The nanotech replicates itself while the refined blood takes on the genetic structure of the subject so that body will not reject the nanotech," Noir replied with a matter-of-fact tone.

"Special... properti-" Ratchet was cut off by Abel, who suddenly stopped supporting himself completely and nearly pulled Ratchet down with him, "Gah! Abel, wake up!"

"He is having a difficult time adjusting internally to time lack of the nanotech's support. Take him to his quarters and let him rest. I'm done with the lot of you, but you had best remember, Ratchet, you are allowed here at my discretion. I hold no loyalties to you. If you feel the need to cause commotion here or get in my way, I will toss you into the vacuum of space... Is that understood?" Noir said with a eerily pleasant tone.

Ratchet felt himself shiver, "Don't worry, I won't get in your way, but if that bastard over there comes at me or Abel... I'll kill him myself!"

Caine snarled, "Big talk! Come over here and say th-"

"SILENCE, CAINE!" Noir barked. "There is no doubt in my mind that in your current state that you would lose to him, and lose quickly. I should inform you that your nanotech's deactivation also means that your muscular enhancements are purely for aesthetics at this point. He is on par with you physically in almost every way. Don't be foolish."

Caine growled before he stood up straight, "Fine, I'll be in my room. Fuzzball... you stay outta my way and everything will be... just fine..." Caine said with an artificial sincerity before he stomped towards the door.

"Caine..." Noir called.

"Yes... Master?"

"When you reach your quarters, remove you armor and equipment for a more casual attire. There is no need for such an appearance in your current state," Noir commanded.

Caine visibly shook for just a moment, "Y..yes... Master..." Without another word, Caine was gone.

Ratchet had now picked Abel up and was holding him in his arms. He turned his head towards Noir, "I still have questions that need answers... I'll back later."

"I'm certain you will..." Noir replied.

With that, Ratchet turned, and exited.

--

Ratchet laid Abel, who was still unconscious, down on the bed. He walked around to the other side and sat down.

"What have I gotten myself into?" He said to himself. "I hope everyone is alright on the Phoenix," he turned himself on the bed so that he could lay down himself, "My head hurts," he said with a quiet laugh.

He closed his eyes and thought. Soon his thoughts became hazy and before he long he was asleep.


	32. Take a Tour

Well that was a longer break than I intended for an update to happen. Anyway, I have some news. I seems that one of my fans is writing a one shot to my story (I've read bits of it, but I won't spoil it) and I happen to find that people willing to this is very flattering.

Well, I'm encouraging anyone who wants to do the same thing (especially those 14 or so that that same person has told that he's been talking with about my story) and have fun with it. I'll assume everyone knows what a one shot is, though if anyone does do one, I want to speak with them beforehand (this would actually be one of the few requirements that I have when it comes to this). This isn't some kind of narcissistic endeavor, I just love that someones actaully willing to do it.

Alright, grammar issues and spelling issues aside, here is chapter 32^^

* * *

Ratchet was having such a nice dream. He was on Pokataru, laying in chair with an umbrella overhead to keep the sun out of his eyes. Every once in a while he'd take a drink of whatever it was in his glass. He didn't really care, all he knew was that it was good.

There was a cool breeze coming from ocean and it carried soothing sounds of ocean currents with it.

Ratchet sighed contently, "Ah, this is the life, right Clank?"

No response.

"Clank? Where the heck are you?" Ratchet sat up and looked around.

He was alone.

"Where the heck is everyone?" Ratchet yelled as he stood up.

He shrugged a bit and then started walking.

--

"HELLO?!" Ratchet called out.

He was getting rather frustrated at his predicament. He had been walking forever, though he found it strange that his feet weren't sore.

"This isn't funny gu-" Ratchet stopped, suddenly noticing the house off in the distance.

It wasn't a big house, but not a small one either. It had a nice porch, with lots of well-kept plants all around it. He couldn't tell what it was made of.

"I hope you guys are there..."

He started walking, then he picked up speed. Before he knew it, he was running. He was surprised to find that he wasn't tired despite the distance.

When he finally reached the house, he could hear music, like a party was going on inside. He took a step onto the front porch and suddenly the music cut off.

Ratchet suddenly felt nervous as he reached his hand out to turn the handle.

"I wish I had my wrench right now..."

He turned the handle and pushed the door open.

"SURPRISE, RATCHET!"

Ratchet was dumbstruck by the site. All of his friends were there. Clank, Sasha, Al, Skidd, Helga... Qwark, but something was missing.

"What's this all about?" Ratchet asked.

"We're just wanting to thank for all that you've done for us! Saving the Galaxies and all!" everyone cheered.

"We'll, I don't know what to say. Ummm... Thanks," Ratchet said, feeling oddly bashful.

"Come have some cake!" everyone yelled.

"Ummm, sure, I-" then it dawned on him, "Ah, how I could have not noticed?! Where's Abel?"

"Behind you, Ratchet," Clank replied.

Ratchet turned around just in time to be tackled by Abel and have the breath knocked out of him as they fell to the floor.

CRASH!

"GAH! ABEL!" Ratchet cried.

Abel didn't respond.

Ratchet looked down, "Abel?"

Abel was sound asleep, his arms locked around Ratchet.

"Come on, Abel! Wake up! You're... crushing... me..." Ratchet tried to say, but, either from lack of oxygen or fatigue that he could not explain, he was losing consciousness.

Everything went black, but the warmth of arms wrapped around him remained.

--

Ratchet opened his eyes to find a sleeping Abel's face right in his, effectively scaring him half to death.

"AHHHHH!" Ratchet cried as he shot out of the bed and onto the floor.

Abel remained asleep and merely shifted in the bed until he was comfortable again.

Ratchet caught his breath, "Well, that explains the crushing feeling, I gotta be more careful or he might break me in half one day."

Ratchet sighed a bit, not entirely sure how he had escaped Abel's grasp like that. He turned and looked around at the walls before stepping out the room.

Ratchet rubbed his head, "How long was I out?"

Just then, 411 passed by him without looking at him and stated, "Four hours, thirteen minutes, and twenty-seven seconds," all while continuing his trek down the hallway.

Ratchet blinked before he ran to catch up with 411 who was walking rather fast, "Hey, you're supposed to the go-to guy for information, right?"

"Yes, I am," 411 replied, a bit of a satisfied expression appeared on his face.

"Well, can you show me around, tell me about this place?" Ratchet asked.

"Hmmmm, I don't know. Why do you want a tour?" 411 asked with a cocked brow.

"Curiousity, that's all," Ratchet stated.

"Hmmmmmmmmmmm.... fine, but don't interrupt me when I'm explaining something, understand?"

"Yes, sir," Ratchet said, making sure that 411 didn't see him roll his eyes.

--

"And here we have the gardens where we grow all of our food," 411 said as he pointed towards a massive garden filled with all kinds of plant-life that Ratchet didn't recognize, "All produce is designed to supply the correct amount of vitamins and minerals needed daily. Of course, as we are not herbivores, we have fauna here that has been domesticated for both food and commodities."

Ratchet watched several Lombaxes, all with numbers on their foreheads, work in the garden as 411 spoke, he even saw a few small ones play despite the scorn of those around them.

Ratchet finally looked at 411, "So how's it taste?"

411 twitched, "That really isn't a concern."

"Sure it is, tasty food makes me a happy Lombax. They can't be any different," Ratchet with a smile as he pointed towards the children who were still playing.

"The taste of food hardly matters when all the food here is designed to be perfectly suited for consumption and a healthy body," 411 replied, annoyed.

Ratchet thought hard for a moment, "But if you're happy, you're usually healthier!"

"That's debatable," 411 said, slightly annoyed.

"Look, if I get nice big steak," he showed the size with his hands which was bigger than his head, "and a tall glass of favorite soda, I'm a happy Lombax!" He said with a big grin. "Nothing beats a tasty meal!"

This time, 411 rolls his eyes, "Look, none of here care about that. We do our job and we are content. We do not concern ourselves with anything that would draw attention away from our duty. That is all there is to it."

Ratchet smirked, "You still haven't given me a definite answer."

411 quaked,"Moving on!"

Ratchet sighed, "Fine."

The both began to walk off as Ratchet looked back, just in time to see the young ones who were playing being reprimanded by an older one.

--

"And here we have our educational facilities," 411 said, pointing out the area in similar fashion as he did with the gardens.

There were several rooms, each one could be seen into from all angles. Insider each room, there were about ten little Lombaxes and a single older one, each explaining something to the children that Ratchet couldn't hear through the windows.

"What do they learn here?" Ratchet asked.

"Everything... well, everything that is relevant to their lives," 411 replied.

"What is 'relevant'?" Ratchet cocked his brow.

"Daily routines, necessary nutrients for a healthy body, discipline, anatomy, cooperation, everything that is necessary to keep themselves and this place running at 100% percent efficiency."

"Math, history, science, reading, and writing?" Ratchet asked.

"Well, that depends upon the child. Whether or not they need it for their duty," 411 replied with a sigh.

"And what about things like religion?"

411 straightened almost instantly, "Uh...ummm... Let's move on.... to the... ummm..."

"Is something wrong?!" Ratchet asked in annoyance, "Does the word 'religion' bother you?"

"Why would religion matter when 'God' is at the helm of this ship?"

Both the lombaxes turned. While Ratchet bared his fangs, 411 lost the color in his face.

Caine was just strolling towards them in a casual manner. He was now shirtless and his braids were undone, letting his hair fall back behind him. He was wearing long and very baggy pants that started out as black at his waist and faded to red towards his knees. The pants were tied at the waste with what looked like a red karate belt that was torn at the end. His forearms and most of his hands were wrapped in a white bandage-like material. The band around his left-wrist was still visible somehow. He looked like he was ready to fight someone.

As he approached, he would look into each of the classes that he passed, causing the older Lombax and most of the younger ones to back away a bit.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ratchet growled.

"You don't seem to get half of what I say, do you?" Caine was now just a few feet away from Ratchet. "Hmmm, the reason the brainiac over there doesn't want to discuss religion is because as far as he and the rest of these peons are concerned, Noir is God to them and it wouldn't be a good idea to introduce one that isn't as tangible."

"Why would they think that?!" Ratchet exclaimed.

"Hmmm... let's go for a little mind fuck, shall we?" Caine said with a grin.

"...What?" both 411 and Ratchet replied.

"If I know you're thought pattern correctly, 411, I'd assume that in order to get away from the topic of religion... you'd take this little tour to the closest place," Caine tapped his chin, "Now the bathing area is way over yander," he pointed out to his left. "The dining areas are to the opposite direction and only slightly closer," Caine smirked, "However, the genetics area is oh so close by. Let's head that as I want to join this little tour..."

411 was visibly nervous, "I... don't..."

Caine shot him a dark look.

"T- that sounds like a good... idea," 411 finally said.

--

All three were walking along, eventually passing through a door that read 'Genetics Division'.

"So what's in this... 'Genetics Division'?" Ratchet asked.

"U-umm... Plant research, animal research, infirmaries, disease research and control and..." 411 trailed off, still nervous.

"Annnnnnnd?"

Caine smiled, "The Birthing and 'Maternity' wards... and here we are!"

The were standing before a large door that read 'Birthing/Maternity Ward: Authorized Personnel Only'.

"Let's go check it out!" Caine said enthusiastically.

Ratchet felt a bit uneasy by this.

411 spoke up, "We can't go in there, not without Noir's consent! We-"

"SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP!" Caine roared, immediately silencing 411 and scaring the hell out of all the workers nearby to the point that they ran for their lives. Ratchet, however, was now in a defensive stance. "That's better," Caine smirked before noting Ratchet, "Oh go fuck yourself... your not gonna do a damn thing like that, anyway..."

Caine turned away from them and moved toward the panel by the door. He was just about to activate it when the inter-comm kicked on.

"Caine, report to my study... Immediately!" Noir commanded as his voice boomed through the halls.

"Dammit," Caine cursed, which was barely audible. He looked at Ratchet and then glanced at 411, "Later..."

--

Both Ratchet and 411 stood there for a while. Ratchet was mainly watching 411 as the Lombax came to grips with what just happened.

"Are you okay?" Ratchet asked.

"... Y... yes... W-we need to leave here. We're not authorized to be in there..." 411 massaged his hands nervously, "I... I wanna go lay down now... You can get back to Abel's quarters by following this hall all the way back. Th- there are maps that you can use if you get lost..."

"Ummm, alright... are you okay?" Ratchet asked, putting a hand on 411 shoulder.

Without warning, 411 forced the hand off, "I'M FINE! I... I'm fine... I'm sorry... I just need to lie down... good... good bye," 411 finally said as he took off into the distance.

Ratchet sat there for a minute, "Damn that Caine..." He looked back at the door that they didn't enter, "Why was he so determined to show us what was in there?"

He thought back to all the things he'd seen, but mainly the Lombaxes. He then took one last look at the doorway.

"Hmmmm...."


	33. Take a Tour Again

Ratchet was slowly making his way back to Abel's room. He'd been walking for maybe half an hour, but in that time, he had managed to gain a decent sized entourage of children who seemed to be completely fascinated by him.

After a bit, Ratchet finally gave in to his annoyance and spun around to face the children, "Alright, what's this about?"

All of the children backed off and giggled to one another.

Ratchet sighed before turning around. Then he smiled to himself before he bolted off down the hallway, much to the confusion of the children.

--

Ratchet was laughing like a mad man since he'd ran from the kids and he only laughed harder when he saw that he had lost them, "SUCKERRRRRRS!"

He kept running until he took a sharp turn.

WHAM!

Ratchet was now on the ground, being crushed by the weight of about a dozen giggling kids.

"H- how... how did you... guys catch me?!" Ratchet cried.

One of the bigger ones, 224, spoke, "Shortcut!"

"Alright, alright, let me up!" Ratchet said, laughing a bit himself.

--

Apparently, as Ratchet found out, the children were completely enthralled by the fact that he didn't run from Caine when he had yelled at 411. Ratchet didn't know why, but couldn't but smile at that.

"You're brave," one of the smallest ones, 147, said.

Another one, 388, spoke up, "Are you strong enough to beat Caine?"

Ratchet thought for a second, then grinned, "You better believe it!"

Ratchet continued walking as the little ones followed him. Then a thought occured to him.

"Ummm... kids?" Ratchet asked, "I thought you guys weren't allowed to call people by their first names, right?"

224 spoke again, "As long as we call him or Master Noir 'Master' in there prescence, we can get away with not following that little rule."

Ratchet chuckled, enjoying the little hint of rebellion, "You don't say."

A bunch of the children gave him an odd look, "Huh?"

Ratchet laughed, "Nevermind," he then got an idea, "Say, you kids wouldn't mind helping me finish my tour, would you?"

The children looked at eachother, then back at Ratchet, "Sure!"

--

Thanks to the kids, that now lead Ratchet rather than followed, he was able to see the dining areas, he was brought back to the bathing areas, and the fitness areas. Ratchet had expected there to be more that he would be able to see, but there were quite a few areas that he was not authorized to enter.

The dining areas were enormous. They could have easily fit the entire crew of the Starship Pheonix in each of them, ten fold. It seemed that the dining area was like any normal one. Each Lombax would take a tray and get in line, grabbing a plate, utensils, and cup. Each one would receive a meat and several vegetables. Ratchet couldn't really tell what they were having since he didn't really inspect them, but it was obvious that water was the only choice for drinks. Not that any of the Lombaxes seemed to mind this fact.

The bathing areas had not differed from the one Ratchet woke up in, though they were now far more occupied. It was interesting to see. Each older Lombax would sit in the waters and clean any young ones that were there, then the older ones would take turns cleaning each other. It was apparent that the older ones did not care if the children played while bathing. It was also apparent that modesty didn't mean a thing to these Lombaxes as they did nothing to cover themselves when not in the pool after they dried themselves off. Ratchet assumed there was a nearby locker room that he could not see.

The fitness area was something to behold, massive and with several floors. On the first floor, hundreds of Lombaxes, all going through the same workout routine in perfect unison. In front of them, a single Lombax, 919, gave orders that the rest would follow as he did the routines himself. There was no equipment aside from the mats that each Lombax stood on and the many water fountains that lined the walls.

On the other floors, there was a bit less organization. Here, each Lombax was practicing with different types of combat. Some were going at it hand-to-hand, some fought with rods, some fought with wooden swords, and some went on the defensive

Although there were no over-weight figures in the room, the one in charge of the first floors routines, 919, had a rather impressive physique that was almost as good as Caine's. Ratchet could have sworn he had seen him somewhere before. 919 glanced over in Ratchet's direction for only a moment before going back to his routine.

--

The group found their way back in the direction of Abel's quarters after a while, first going to get a meal in the dining area that Ratchet ended up not enjoying. None of the children seemed to mind, but Ratchet was deeply annoyed at the lack of flavor in anything he ain't.

"My kingdom for some salt," Ratchet had groaned.

As they got closer to Abel's room, Ratchet barely noticed something out of the corner of his eye as they pass a hallway. He stopped and rubbed his eyes just too make sure. He opened his eyes again just in time to see two very large figures clad in white armor disappear around the corner at the end of the hall.

"No way," Ratchet said under his breath, before he ran after them; leaving the children to chase after him in confusion.

Ratchet reached the corner and stopped, peaking around it then quickly hiding himself. The figures were mere meters away, quietly chatting, seemingly unaware as Ratchet peaked back around to take in their features.

The first figure towered over the second, but looked as if it would have been a bit shorter than Noir. However, the second figure was hunched over in a rather creepy fashion, so the size difference was probably not as big as it looked.

The first figures armor was similar to how Ratchet remember Nero's. Very smooth and lacking any severe or pointed edges and spikes. However, it lacked any visible markings on it's glossy, pearl-white surface. The helmet was similar to Noir's in terms of the ear-like protrusions that came out of the top of the head. Unlike Noir's, the lenses of the helmet were more rounded.

Compared to Noir's, this figure had a very plain, albeit pretty, white cape. The armor itself wasn't nearly as bulky as Noir's, very feminine,. The reason why it appeared so when Ratchet noticed the breast-plate of the armor.

"A female?!" Ratchet said, only realizing afterward that he had actually spoken, and hoped that the figures didn't hear him.

Luckily for Ratchet, it appeared that they had not. Ratchet signed quietly, then turned his attention to the second figure.

Now this figure was bizarre in many senses of the word. There was no way Ratchet could imagine anyone being able to fit into that armor.

Like the female being, this creature had pearl-white, glossy armor, but that was were the similarities ended. The helmet was almost like Nero's in terms of lacking any ear-like features, but the face was not like a face-plate. It started at the top of the head like any of others, but at the point where the cheeks would have been, it seems to crater and peek right in the center like a sharp edge. Ratchet had a hard time truly describing it. The lenses of the helmet were much like Noir's, except that they connected to one another rather than being separated.

The torso was seemingly normal around the chest, but the abdomen was unrealistically thin. On the chest, some information was displayed, but could not be deciphered. It reminded Ratchet of a heart-monitor.

The limbs were oddities. The thighs and upper arms of the figure were extemely thin, but, other than that, normal. It was the forearms and shins that were disturbing. They split in two from the elbows and knees and did not connect again until they reached the wrists and ankles. The hands hands were normal aside from the two digits and thumb on each hand that were abnormally long and pointed. The shoulders were guarded with rather large plating that held the creatures own cape in place. The feet of the creature had two long talons and the heels were long points like exaggerated stiletto heels.

"An android?" Ratchet muttered, this time having to duck quickly as the subject in question took a quick glance in his direction.

Ratchet seemed to dodge the bullet a second time. The figure simply shrugged and turned back towards the female one.

Ratchet peaked back around the corner just in time to see them both leaving through a doorway nearby. He followed them, quickly going through the doorway.

WHACK!

Ratchet fell flat on his rump, holding back a tear as he grabbed his nose to sooth the pain in it.

"ASSHOLE!" he cried as he opened his eyes to see who had punched him.

There stood a very well toned Lombax. His arms crossed and his gaze falling directly on Ratchet with scorn that could be felt like a branding iron.

Ratchet rubbed his nose a bit before standing, "You... your the guy who was in charge of the fitness area! 919!"

"You're right, I am. And I don't appreciate it when filth like you spies on Master Weiss and Mistress Blanc," 919 replied, his voice cold and deep.

"Weiss and Blanc, eh? Hey, wait! You're also the one who was yelling at those kids in gardens!" Ratchet yelled.

"Do not sully their names with your tongue, rat! I have seen you around and I don't like your influences here. I am 919, all-purpose worker on this ship, lead physical trainer, head educator of the young-lings, 2nd only to Master Noir and Number One as a disciplinary enforcer, and the only Lombax on this ship who has ever been on par with Master Caine in a training session! And I will teach you some RESPECT!" 919 roared as he charged at Ratchet.

"Oh, hell!" Ratchet yelled as he moved as fast as he could to get on the defensive.

* * *

Just for those who are not familiar with it, "Weiss" is german for white and it is pronounced "Vise" (not like Vice, but like Rise, only with a V xD)


	34. Natural or Not

I have a feeling that some may not agree with the pacing of this chapter, but I like it :U

Eh, I'm having to think hard about a few things that I need to do for the story (I'm intending this story to go to and beyond the 200,000 word mark) so I'm going have to make sure I'm pacing this in way that will allow me to do that without straying from how I like to write (If need be, I'll just add more to the story than I intended xD)

Anyway, enjoy^^

* * *

"HOLY SHI-"

SLAM!

Ratchet was just able to duck out of the way in time before 919 brought his heel down hard on the ground where Ratchet had been.

919 let out hiss of pain, "Lucky, but let's how long that lasts!"

919 ran at his opponent with full force and began slashing at Ratchet with his claws relentlessly.

Ratchet tried his best to dodge each slash, but a few landed their marks, "Shit, shit, SHIT! GET OFF OF ME!"

Ratchet ducked down low and let himself fall backwards in a single, lightning-fast motion, pulling his legs in tight as he did this so that they were off the ground. He landed on his palms so that his feet were elevated right at 919's torso and, without wasting another seconds, his legs shot out with all the strength and speed could muster. He grinned when he felt his kick connect with 919's belly.

919 could only react with a agonized look on face as he flew back, all air in his lungs knocked out out of him, and he slammed into the wall of the hallway.

919 fell onto his hands and knees and tried to form a coherent sentence through his desperate attempts to draw a breath, "...Ch... ch... ch-ch.. cheap.. sho... ot!"

Ratchet rose into a standing position, "Heh, well maybe next time you shouldn't just assault me like I'm some kind of criminal in need of the death penalty! What the hell is your problem anyway?!"

919 took a moment to get back some of the air he lost, "... As... far as I... am concerned... you are a criminal!"

Ratchet cocked his head to the side, "Really..." He took a few steps towards 919 and then extended his hand, "Ya know, I'm willing to prove you wrong!"

919 gave him a dark look before looking down. After a few seconds, he grasped Ratchet's hand.

"See? Now that wasn't so- OOF!"

Now it was Ratchet's turn to be on the ground as he tried desperately to breathe. 919 now stood over him, laughing.

"HAHAHA! Did you really think that kick would do anything?! Did you not hear me when I said that I had fought with Caine before?! What makes you think you would be any challenge compared to that, you little wretch?!" 919 mocked.

919 laughed a bit more until a sound behind him cut him off. He turned to see the children who had been following Ratchet, their expression showed only terror.

"You little brats had best leave, NOW! Or I'll do to you what I'm going to him as punishment for disobedience! I-"

"GRAAAAAAAAH!" Ratchet jumped up a bit as he clasped his hands together tight and slammed them into 919's left knee-cap, eliciting a rather loud cracking sound from it.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHH!" 919 screamed, caught completely off guard by this and in searing pain as his leg buckled and he fell to the ground. He tried to catch himself on his good leg, but he ended up hitting the ground with his damaged knee with a hard smack, looking as he were kneeling before a king for but a second. The second blow to his knee from hitting the ground made him howl even louder.

Ratchet managed to stand up, albeit on shaky legs and panting, ignoring the sounds coming from 919. He smirked weakly, "Shoulda not been such an asshole... Especially considering you don't seem to have that Nanotech I've been hearing so much about... that foot of yours is still bleeding a bit."

Ratchet looked down at the bare foot that 919 had tried to heel-stomp him with. He hit the ground with enough force to tear the skin and bruise it up. Ratchet didn't have to worry about him getting up any time soon.

Ratchet looked over at the kids who, although slightly less terrified, were peaking nervously around the same corner as before, "Run off kids, every thing's fine now..."

The children all seemed to brighten up at this, but almost as quickly as they had cheered up, they all regained their horrified expressions and ran off.

"The hell?" Ratchet cocked an eyebrow before he instinctively sighed, getting the feeling that his answer was behind him and towering over him.

Ratchet turned around slowly before giving a nervous grin, "Heheh... hey there, Noir..."

The massive being simply stared down at the Lombax for what seemed like an eternity. Then his gaze shifted towards 919, who was still emitting some pathetic noises.

"You do realize that when I warned to not cause any trouble, this is among what I consider to be 'trouble', do you not?" Noir asked with a cold tone.

"Hey, now, wait a minute! HE attacked ME!" Ratchet growled.

Noir's gaze move back at 919, who was now very aware of Noir's presence as his groaning had stopped, "I do not doubt that..."

It was at this point that the two large figures, that Ratchet had briefly followed, stepped up next to Noir.

The female one spoke first, "Well what seems to be the commotion, here? I swear Noir, you can't just go off on a tangent like this while your telling us about- OH HOW ADORABLE!"

Ratchet backed off a bit as the female figure, he assumed the aforementioned "Mistress Blanc", walked up closer to him and kneeled down to observe him, "Oh my, Noir, you sneaky devil! You never mentioned this one! What would the others think?"

Noir let out an annoyed sigh, "He is not mine, Blanc."

"Wonderful, that means that Nero has been busy on new projects, just like you!"

Noir let out an almost inaudible growl, He is not Nero's either. His name is Ratchet, he's a guest of Abel's. In short, a Progenitor."

Both Blanc and the "Weiss" character let out a rather astonished gasp.

Then Weiss finally spoke up, "Vhat, vhat, vhat?! Are you serious?! Ve havint zeen a Progeniter in so many years! My, my, my...." Wiess stared at Ratchet, letting out a bit a cough before regaining his composure, "... vhat vonders you must hold!"

Ratchet began to feel very uncomfortable, "Ummm, I..."

"Weiss, do not even consider it... We have already have Mahthius... There is no reason to use him for anything," Noir stated in that same cold tone.

Ratchet blinked, "... Mahthius?"

"Hmmm, you are right, Noir. My apologeez," Weiss said, doing a sort of bow as he said it.

"Oh well," Blanc sighed, "... you know, if you hadn't said that, Noir, I would have assumed that he was Caine and Abel's brother. Shame, it would have been interesting to see a fourth one," she finished with sigh as she rose up and began to walk back in the direction she had come from as Weiss followed soon after, coughing a bit as he walked.

Ratchet ears stood up, "A... a fourth one?!"

Ratchet eyes darted to Noir, who was motioning for some of the Lombaxes on the far end of the hallway to come to him.

Noir returned his gaze to Ratchet, "Hmmm, yes. I suppose you'll understand later on. After all, that is the entire reason my brethren are paying me a visit. I'll be unveiling my latest masterpiece soon!"

"What in the world are you talking about?!" Ratchet cried, dumbstruck.

Noir sighed, "... Tell me something, Ratchet. When you look at them," he pointed to the lombaxes who were now standing there, waiting for their orders, "what do you see?"

Ratchet blinked, "I... ummm... Lombaxes."

"Yes, yes... but what else do you see?"

"Hmmm... Slaves..." Ratchet said with a low growl.

"More like life-long servants, workers who only know thier work. However, this is not the answer I want from you."

Ratchet growled louder, "What?! What answer do you want?"

"Their features, why do you think they all have similar features? All 999 of them."

"I... umm..."

Noir sighed, "Just as my masterpiece-to-come is a work of science... so are they."

Ratchet's gaze shot towards the still-waiting Lombaxes, "So... they really are..."

"Clones..."

Ratchet couldn't but feel odd at the moment. He had has his suspicions, but this was too much. He'd only confronted Otto Destruct's army of clones not too long ago. He could only describe it as.... unoriginal in a sense.

"Oh my god... not this crap again..." Ratchet rubbed his face with his hand.

There was a small sound behind him and Ratchet turned to see Noir now holding a digital clipboard again.

"Ah yes, Otto Destruct. A technomite who you fought not too long ago. He used... clones of you?" Noir tilted his armored head a bit before he started to chuckle.

"What's so funny?!"

Noir stopped laughing after a moment, "I'm sorry... A clone army... it's just that after looking at this, I must say that his methods were rather... amatuer. No offense, but it's just that you are not a specimen best suited to be cloned for that purpose. The clones would likely have ended up falling in droves to any opposition."

Ratchet did in fact feel a bit offended by this, but he did recall taking down every clone that got in his way, single-handedly.

"My word, he even altered the DNA for enhanced speed and strength... and still lost. What a fool," Noir said with a final chuckle. "It's just very degrading as a fellow scientist to see cloning done poorly."

"As long as you tell me I won't have to fight off every single one of these guys... I'll be happy," Ratchet remarked. "Just tell me.... what is a Progenitor? I'm sick of being called something that no one will clarify for me!"

"Progenitor is the term we use for Lombax like yourself that are natural born," Noir stated.

"Well.... I guess that adds up..." Ratchet said before looking up at Noir and narrowing his eyes, "... You aren't going to use these Lombaxes for WAR, right?"

Noir let out a loud laugh at that, "My boy, I wouldn't waste my time cloning an army. It's simply not worth the time and effort." He looked towards the Lombaxes who were standing patiently by 919, "Ah yes, take him to the infirmary and have that leg returned to normal. I'll reprimand his actions later on."

Noir turned to leave as the numbered lombaxes carried off 919, leaving Ratchet to stand there alone in the hall.

Ratchet rubbed his head, "So then Abel and Caine are..."

--lol

Ratchet found his way back to Abel's quarters, sighing a bit before going in. The door opened to reveal Abel, who was sitting in the center of his bed with a rather odd smile on his face.

"H... hey, Abel. Umm, what's with the smile?" Ratchet said, feeling a bit odd at what he had learned and a bit uncomfortable by Abel's expression.

"I heard you thrashed someone..." Abel tried hard not to go into a giggle-fit.

"Oh.... yeah.... that 919 guy! He was an ass..."

"From what I hear, he kept screaming 'cheap bastard' over and over again while in the infirmary, you musta really messed him up!" Abel started laughing hard.

Ratchet chuckled a bit too, "Well, I'm glad my dangerous meeting with that psycho brought you amusement."

"That it did," Abel giggled.

Ratchet let a last chuckle before his expression lost any smile it had, "Umm, Abel... can I ask you something?"

Abel looked around a bit, as if giving it some thought, "Sure, but you have to do something for me first!"

Ratchet cocked an eyebrow, "What's that?"

Abel jumped out of the bed and grabbed Ratchet by the hand, "Follow me!"

"AH, ABEL WAIT!" Ratchet cried as Abel pulled him along.

--lol

"Here we are!" Abel said, beaming.

Abel had pulled Ratchet all the way to a part of ship Ratchet hadn't been to or even told about. Abel had thrown him into an elevator, hopped in himself, and then sent them flying upwards to floor marked as "S". They now stood before a large door.

"Where is 'here'?" Ratchet asked.

"You'll see!" Abel said as he revealed a panel by the door. On it was a number pad and several readings.

Abel punched in a code and then let the reader scan his hand.

The door opened and Ratchet's jaw dropped.


	35. When Butterflies Attack

Ratchet couldn't help but wince at the bright light before him. It was almost as if he had suddenly looked into the sun with eyes wide open.

"AH! Abel, what is that!" Ratchet cried.

"Once your eyes adjust, it'll be paradise," Abel replied with a giggle as he Ratchet through the door.

Ratchet stumbled a bit without being able to see as Abel pulled him, "What are you talking about?"

"Just open your eyes as the program calibrates itself… aaaaaaaaaand, now!" Abel cheerfully.

Ratchet was reluctant to open his eyes, but then he felt Abel head very close to his.

"I'm not gonna trick you, Ratchet, you can open them," Abel said with a giggle.

Ratchet finally opened them and then gasped. Never before had he felt like he had been thrown into a work of art, but this was certainly what he was experiencing now. It was the same scene as the one Abel had painted on his walls.

There was tall green grass as far as the eye could see, covering every inch of the massive valley. From the high ground of the hill they stood, Ratchet could see rivers and streams that stretched off into the distance. A ways away from where the hill ended, there was a massive tree that cast an enormous shadow. Ratchet could just barely see what looked like little blue specks fluttering around it. In the distance, he could see the outlines of several mountain peaks. It was truly beautiful to see.

Behind them was a simple, yet large, wooden door that stood on its own. Ratchet assumed it was the door back to the real world.

"Come on, Ratchet!" Abel yelled as he took off towards the tree, yanking Ratchet out of his dumbstruck state and forcing him to run as fast as he could or else be drug along the ground.

"A- ABEL! Slow down!" Ratchet cried.

Abel came to sudden, unexpected halt at Ratchet request a few yards away from the tree. Much to Ratchet's dismay, however, he didn't stop and his momentum ended with him being flung towards.

SLAM!

Abel hands flew to his mouth, "Oh my god!," he gasped as he ran towards Ratchet, "Are you alright?!"

Ratchet mumbled something incoherent before he fell backwards off of the tree and landed on the back of his head with a pained groan with the rest of his body propped against the tree.

Abel kneeled next to Ratchet and put a hand under his head and the other on his chest, "Are you okay?"

Ratchet gave a pained groan, "Help me sit up…"

"Sure," Abel replied as he helped Ratchet off of the tree and to a sitting position.

"Let's not… do that again," Ratchet said, one hand rubbing his chest and the other clamped on his groin, "That really hurt…"

"Oh crap, you didn't hurt anything, did you?" Abel asked with a worried tone.

"No… no, I'm good. I'm breathing and the boys are okay," Ratchet replied, smirking weakly when this got a giggle out of Abel.

--l

After a short recovery, both the Lombaxes had found themselves laying down under the tree, gazing up at it's many leaves. To Ratchet's surprise, the fluttering specks had been hundreds of butterflies. None of them ever landed on Ratchet, but Abel seemed to attract them.

"Wow, why is it that they like you so much?" Ratchet asked.

"The program was built that way," Abel replied, "You remember the Dark Spectrum? This place is basically the same as the one there. Everything you see here is digital aside from us. However, the water here can hydrate the body and the fruit in this tree can provide nourishment."

"How is that even possible?" Ratchet asked, doubtful.

"Well, you see, the taste is entirely synthetic, but the nutrients that are found in the real plants are given off by these plants thanks to a special design by my Master and Master Noir. Using specialized form of nanotech that is digitally augmented into the-"

"You know what, I'll take you word for it," Ratchet interrupted, chuckling a bit.

"You're no fun. Basically, it's all nano-technology that makes this who thing work." Abel stated. "These butterflies are designed to "play" with me. They act curious and friendly around me."

"And they give me the cold shoulder?" Ratchet asked with a smirk.

"Well, since you seem to want attention," Abel said, snapping a finger and causing a digital screen appeared before his face, he pressed a button that Ratchet couldn't see. "Can you say 'fluttery death'?"

"Fluttery… dea-"

Beep!

Suddenly, Ratchet was swarmed and completely covered in hundreds of butterflies.

"GAAAAHHHHHH!" Ratchet screamed, leaping up and running around like a madman. Flinging his arms haphazardly in the air to try and get the bugs off of him.

Abel wasn't exactly helpful towards situation, instead opting to laugh hysterically at Ratchet until his sides hurt.

--l

After deactivating the butterflies and a scolding from Ratchet, Abel brought Ratchet up to the top of the hill to show him the sunset.

"Damn, that's beautiful," Ratchet said in awe. "I could get used to a place like this."

"It would better if we weren't on this ship," Abel said with a sigh.

"Well, it's not all that bad. Hell, I think Noir is actually starting to like me," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

"Be careful around him, Ratchet. He's the reason Caine is the way his is. His idea of punishment is swift, almost-lethal to lethal force. I've seen him do horrible things in the name of correction."

"Well, I don't agree with those methods, but you gotta admit, it's a well-kept community here. The grown-ups scold the kids for playing around when the should, it seems like everyone exercises and stays fit. There are just a few problems here and there with guys like Caine and that 919 character. I guess that Number One guy he mentioned could also be a problem if he's anything like 919."

"Stay away from Number One," Abel stated with an uncharacteristic seriousness.

"Ummm… w-why?"

"He's… he's just not someone you want to meet. He lacks Caine's strength, but… and you won't ever here this from anyone else, but he's the only other person aside from Noir that Caine fears."

"WHAT?! Why?" Ratchet replied, amazed. He kinda wanted to shake the guys hand now if he really could scare Caine. It certainly would've fun to see.

"Number One is one of Noir's highest ranked. Technically, Caine is Noir's right-hand. However, it is only Number One that has all the power that Noir has on this ship. If say, in the unlikely even that Noir was incapacitated, Number One would take over all duties that Noir has. To make matters worse, Number One is unshakably loyal to Noir, so if he had control, he would relinquish it back to Noir with hesitation and he would willing put himself through agonizing pain if Noir even asked of it."

Ratchet blinked, "Wow. I take it you know him well?"

"He used to watch over Caine and myself on this ship when we were small. He was actually friendly to us, but I've seen how he is when he wasn't our caretaker," Abel said, shuddering.

"Huh… well, thanks for the warnings."

"Anytime!"

They were quiet for a few minutes.

"Well, I would like to know. Do you have any clue when we'll be able to get back to the Phoenix? I've been wondering about it for a while. I'm pretty sure everyone is worried about us. Probably sent out search teams everywhere."

"It may be a while. There's no way Noir would take you back himself. I'm willing to bet Master Nero would, though," Abel said with a smile.

"Hmm… perhaps…"

There was another silent period.

Ratchet sighed, "Abel… the Lombaxes on this ship are clones, right?"

Abel's ears sunk low, "Yeah. Every last one of them."

"So… then that means that you and Caine are…"

"Well, we aren't what you would call natural, though both of us were born naturally," Abel said quietly.

"But you said you aren't natural, what do you mean by that?" Ratchet asked confused.

"We are originally copies of a progenitor, but our DNA has been altered to make us not exact copies. What makes me and Caine blood brothers was left intact, however, what makes us replica's of the original is long gone."

"Wait, so am I this original you're talking about?!"

"What do you mean?" Abel asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"The reason we look so much alike. Are you a clone of me?!"

"No, I don't think so. It's possible that the Lombax that the DNA was taken from had either very similar features to you or is actually a relative of yours, but it's just not possible for you to be who I was genetically based off of."

"So…. Where is the original then?"

"The original? From what I've been told, he died years before I was born. I don't even know what his name was. I just know he was very powerful in Lombax circles."

Ratchet sunk to the ground a bit, "Oh… I see."

"Hey, what's wrong?" Abel asked in concern.

"It's nothing big. I just got hopeful for a minute that maybe he could tell me something about myself. But it's fine, I'm not gonna let that worry too much right now."

"Well, you know, we could always ask-"

Thud.

Both Ratchet and Abel became very quiet. They both slowly turned their heads to see what made the noise besides Abel. They both nearly jumped.

"CAINE?!" They cried in unison.

Caine sat there beside them, staring out into the distance. He brought an un-labeled bottle up to his mouth and took swig of its contents. His eyes were glazed-over and bloodshot and slight redness could be seen in his cheeks. He was drunk.

"Part of me truly hates this place and another part of me desperately wants to hold onto it…" Caine said with almost sad tone as he took another swig before looking at both Ratchet and Abel. "There are just some things that I would give anything to fix."

* * *

The little part where Ratchet gets chucked like that was for the sake of comedy. Don't look too deeply into it.


	36. Apologies

Ratchet and Abel both looked at each other in confusion.

"What in the Solana Galaxy are you talking about?" Ratchet finally asked.

Caine chuckled a bit, "Nothing…"

"Ummm… Caine… where did you get that?" Abel asked, eyeing the drink in Caine's hand.

"Heh, this? I snuck it out of Noir's personal 'cellar'. I bagged quite a pri-" he hiccupped, "-ize. Wooooooh, I think this stuffs finally starting to get to me."

"If Noir finds out, he'll probably break one of you arms for stealing from him!" Abel cried, a bit scared of the idea.

Caine sat there for a bit, as if thinking about it.

"Caine?" Abel asked, cautiously putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. Caine's behavior had him completely confused.

"…. Fuck him."

Abel's went wide and Ratchet's jaw hit the ground.

Caine stood up, a bit wobbly at first, before he started walking towards the tree. He was humming something to himself as he strolled through the tall grass, his tail swaying back an forth.

Ratchet tugged on Abel's shirt to get his attention, "Abel, what the hell is going on with him? Is this some kind of trick?"

"I have no idea," Abel replied in a whisper. "It could be, but did you see his eyes?"

"Yeah, bloodshot. He's drunk."

"No, no! His pupils!"

Ratchet's eyebrow shot up, "Come again?"

Caine turned around, now halfway to the tree, "You guys just gonna sit up there all day?"

Then Ratchet saw what Abel was talking about. Before, Caine's pupils had always been slit like a reptile's, very snake-like and menacing. Now, they were like his and Abel's. Almost friendly looking if it weren't for the affects of the alcohol.

Ratchet stood up and looked down at Abel, "Well, what do you wanna do? If we go down there, it could be a trap… and with him being inebriated like that, I'm not sure what he's capable of. If you want, we could just leave."

Abel himself stood up, "I… umm… I want to see what he's up to. We'll just be sure to keep our guard up."

Ratchet looked over at the tree, a bit unsure, "Hmmm… alright."

They both walked slowly towards the tree, keeping their eyes on Caine, each ready to bolt in the opposite direction if Caine so much as showed a fang.

"Have you ever seen him get drunk before," Ratchet asked quietly as they got closer to the tree. "It's weird, he's definitely drunk, but he's a lot more coordinated than most others. No slurs, just hiccups and that slight wobble."

"No, the nanotech in our blood prevented anything like alcohol from affecting us. Anything like that that finds its way in into our systems would be destroyed almost instantly," Abel replied with a matter-of-fact tone, "… but you know, I always did wonder what it would be like to get a… umm, what's the word… 'buzz'? Though, I'd rather have the nanotech and not have to worry about diseases and things like that. Including those that alcohol can cause."

Ratchet chuckled, "Wow, so you're like immune to plagues and everything? Heh, as for getting a 'buzz,' as you put it, its not all that great. Hangovers suck."

Abel looked at Ratchet, "Hangover?"

Ratchet laughed, "Basically, when Caine wakes up in the morning, he's gonna wish he didn't have a head. His head is gonna huuuuuuuuuuurt."

Abel looked over at Caine, then back at Ratchet, "Huh, so I take it you have had first-hand experience with this?"

"Once, a few years ago. I'll never do it again. If I ever have a drink again, it'll be in moderation," Ratchet said with a goofy grin.

--

They eventually reached the tree. Caine wasn't paying any attention to them, instead, he was climbing around its branches and exploring it. Neither Ratchet or Abel could really see him.

"Caine?" Abel called out.

Suddenly, Caine dropped out of the tree beside Ratchet, making him jump with yelp.

"DON'T DO THAT!" Ratchet yelled.

"I'm sorry," Caine said.

Ratchet was immediately on the defensive, "You think you can jus- … wait… what?"

"I said 'I'm sorry,' you know, it's a common term for expressing remorse for causing someone discomfort, anquish, etc," Caine said with disturbingly uncharacteristic sincerity.

Ratchet just gawked at Caine for a while.

Caine finally sighed, "So I take you're waiting for me to insult you, attack you, or something like that?"

Ratchet shook himself out of his astonishment, "Well, to be honest, ummmmm…. yeah."

Abel finally spoke, "Caine, what's going on? You haven't acted anything like this since… since…"

"Since we were both younglings," Caine finished for him.

"Y- yeah…. What's going on?"

"I can't say… Let's just call it a window of o… o- opportunity," Caine replied, his voice starting to crack like he couldn't hold something back.

"Opportunity for wha-"

CLAP!

Ratchet almost instantly got into a defensive stance, ready to tear Caine to pieces when he grabbed Abel, but then he noticed something very odd about what Caine had just done. It wasn't a choke hold, a tackle, a bear hug, or anything violent. It was an embrace.

Caine was bawling his eyes out, almost screaming, "I'm so sorry for everything!"

He held Abel almost unbearably tight, so tight that Abel was almost completely winded on top of the shock he was experiencing.

"C- Caine?"

Caine was crying, truly crying. His head was buried into Abel's shoulder and he had his arms wrapped around Abel.

"I'm… s- so sorry…" Caine cried weakly as he started to sink down to the ground, his grip on Abel loosening.

Abel almost immediately to lower himself to keep Caine from falling, "Caine, what's gotten into you? Why are you acting this way so suddenly?"

Caine didn't answer, he just kept crying, burying his face into Abel's chest.

Abel didn't know what to do, he looked back at Ratchet, who only gave him a far more confused look, before looking back down at Caine.

He wrapped his arms around Caine, petting his head with one hand to calm him down, "I… I, umm… It's okay, Caine. It's okay. Just please stop crying. Please. I… I forgive you."

Ratchet almost fell over, "What?! Abel you c-"

Ratchet was suddenly silenced by the look Abel shot at him through watery eyes.

--

"Ratchet, I'm sorry to you too… for everything," Caine said in a very sincere tone.

"Uh-huh," Ratchet replied coldly.

"If you don't except it, that's fine. As long as I know you heard me, that's good enough," Caine said.

"Ya don't say…" Ratchet replied in a still cold tone.

"Ratchet…" Abel said.

"It's okay, Abel. I don't want to force him if he doesn't want to."

"You're damn right. I don't want to," he said with a snarl, "If you want me to accept your apology, you better find a way to bring back everyone you've killed and heal everyone you've hurt."

"I would if I could…"

"But you can't and that's why it sucks to be you!" Ratchet stated with another snarl.

"Ratchet, stop! The fact that Caine is acting this way is a good sign. Those tears weren't fake, my clothes are soaked in them!" Abel cried.

"A good actor can fake tears, give false apologies, and make you feel sympathy when you KNOW you shouldn't! I don't buy this for a minute!" Ratchet yelled.

"Yes, it could be a trick, but I have to have hope that it isn't!"

"Why? Because he's your brother?!" Ratchet turned his head and glared at Caine, "You are so fucking ungrateful for what you have. No matter how many people you kill, no matter many times you hurt him, Abel always wants to give you a chance."

Caine looked at Abel and then back at Ratchet, "I know."

For some reason, this infuriated Ratchet, "THEN WHY WOULD YOU DO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!"

"Ratchet!" Abel yelled.

Caine started to speak, "I…"

"And for that matter, why can't you tell us why you've had this sudden change of heart?!" Ratchet growled.

"… I…"

"Well?!"

Caine winced, putting hand to his head, "I can't… say…"

"So what, is it the alcohol. Being drunk makes you a nice guy?" Ratchet asked in disgust.

"I… I suppose so," Caine, like he had just died inside.

"Well, in that case," Ratchet turned to face Caine, but when he did, he suddenly looked beyond Caine and his face went white.

"What is it?" Both Caine and Abel asked in unison.

"He would be referring to me…"

Both Caine and Abel turned around to see Noir's massive body towering over them.

"Noir! What are you doing here?" Abel asked timidly.

"Whatever I please, Abel. This is my ship after all. Now. as for the exact reason that I am here in the Simulation Chamber…" Noir crossed his arms and began tapping his fingers against his spiked gauntlets.

Ratchet heard an audible gulp come from Caine.

Noir's head seemed to jerk a bit to the side, "I found myself craving a drink with a strong flavor. Something that would calm my nerves after all the work of the day was done. Now, I have a modest selection of a few thousand special wines, rums, whiskeys, and other alchoholic beverages that make up my personal collection as well as what I serve to special guests."

Ratchet shifted uncomfortably a bit.

"I went through said collection, not sure what would be the best choice. I decided to not go choose a wine, as I had no food that I cared to pair with it. Rums were a possibility, but then I realized that it simply didn't have the affect I was looking for today. I decided to settle on whiskey, though I still was unsure which one would be my final selection."

Abel looked over at Caine nervously.

"I removed my faceplate and began to open bottles. I sampled the scents of several hundred to see which one was the best choice for today. Then, I suddenly realized what the best choice would be, a very rare kind of whiskey indeed. The fermentation process can take years in the best of conditions, but it is of a class all its own. Truly a symbol of elite stature a valuable tool when hosting guests that one would want to show a wonderful time. On top of all this, this beverage can ease pain almost instantly thanks to the Ivornet stems and leaves used towards the end of fermentation"

All three of them were beginning to detect a very faint hint of anger in Noir's voice.

"This wonderful whiskey was kept in an unmarked bottle and I only had one left. It was rather difficult to obtain thanks to the scarcity of Ivornet plants these days. Luckily, my security systems tells me important things, such as what happened to said bottle," Noir gaze fell upon Caine, "Do you have any idea how severe your punishment will be?"

Caine was about to speak, but before he could Noir had him high in the air at eye-level, his armored hand around Caine's throat.

"LET HIM GO!" Abel screamed, his teeth showing and his stance on the offensive.

"Silence!" Noir commanded, "This does not concern you and you had best keep it that way!"

Ratchet stepped in front of Abel, looking back at him for a moment, before sighing and then turning back towards Caine and Noir, "Come on, Noir… Surely…. Surely you can forgive him for this, at least this one time."

Noir simply looked at Ratchet for a moment before saying, "You actually want me to spare him the rod? Explain."

"I don't give a damn about Caine, it's just that Abel doesn't want to see anything happen to him. I'm doing this for Abel. In negotiations between conflicting governments, the Galactic Federation would act as a third party to help things along. That's essentially what I'm doing now. I gain nothing from him getting or not getting beaten for what he's done," Ratchet replied.

Abel stood there, shocked at what Ratchet had just done.

"Hmmm…." Noir looked at Ratchet for a bit, ignoring Caine's struggling, "Very well, I'll spare him this once." He turned his head back toward Caine, "Well, it seems you get a repri-"

Spat!

Both Noir and Abel both gasped audibly. Ratchet wasn't entirely sure what had happened. Then he saw what was running down Noir faceplate.

Caine's face was look of the most pure rage as he began thrash wildly in Noir's grip, clawing furiously at the arm that held him.

Noir took a moment to come to terms with what his subordinate had just done before he wiped away Caine's spit from his helmet, "Now… that will cost you."

"Idiot," Ratchet muttered under his breath.

Abel just had a look of horror on his face.

"LET GO, LET GO OF ME! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! YOU BASTARD! YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Caine screamed at the top of his lungs, snarling and slashing with all the fury he could muster.

Noir did not seem to care about Caine's threats; he simply turned with Caine still by the neck, and walked off into the distance until he reached the doorway back to real world.

Caine simply continued his frenzy of slashing, thrashing, and screaming, "LET ME GO! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU! ABEL, GET AWAY WHILE YOU CAN!"

SLAM!

Noir and Caine were gone and both Ratchet and Abel looked at each other.

Ratchet spoke first, "What the hell was that about?"

"I… I have no idea… Caine… he's never done anything like that before. Oh god, what's Noir going to do to him?!" Abel cried, on the verge of a panic attack. "Why did he warn me to get away, why would he do that?!" Abel fell to his knees, "It doesn't make sense, Caine is loyal to Noir, why would he do that? Why, why, WHY?!"

Ratchet kneeled down and placed his hands on Abel's shoulders, "Abel, calm down. It's okay. Look, everything will be alright. Caine was drunk, I'm sure Noir will figure that out and not do anything too severe to him. It's not like he was in his right mind or anything."

Abel looked up at Ratchet, taking a deep breath, "God, I hope you're right."

"C'mon, let's go. You look like you could use a rest," Ratchet said with a smile, extending his hand help Abel up.

"Y- yeah… that sounds good," Abel replied, taking Ratchet's hand.

They made their way to the door and back to the real world.


	37. Brother's Plans

Hello, everybody^^

I just want to start off by saying that I am NOT quitting this story. On occasion people will ask me if I'm going to at some point quit writing and I'll just say here and now...

No, I am no quitting until this story is finished and I have done everything that I want to with it (there is alot I want to do) and nothing short of a coma or death will stop me :D

Anyway, this chapter might seem a bit wierd to people, but enjoy^^

* * *

Noir paced back and forth, "Now, the appropriate question is, what would happen here?"

He stopped pacing, turning toward the large monitor before him. He approached it and entered a series of codes, before speaking.

"Begin simulation 5184234…"

The screen flickered for a moment before the scene showed an almost completely darkened room aside from the light given off by the monitors in the background.

--

"I HAF HAD EET VITH ZEES POINTLESS RECORDS!!" The figure, cloaked completely in darkness, slammed his hands on his section of the large table in front of him. "Vat does zees haf to do veeth my research or any of ours for zat matter?!"

The screen became nothing but static, before changing to a profile. Just as it did this, the screens around it changed to profiles of other individuals as well.

"Dear brother, why must you grow so impatient, so quickly?" replied the figure at the head of the table, he too was cloaked in darkness. "This is important in many aspects. We can learn of anomalies we may have overlooked, potential for more powerful and beneficial projects, and… the treachery that has sat right under our noses for oh so long…"

There was an uproar from the rest of those sitting around the table before a feminine voice cut them off completely.

"SILENCE! Now dear brother, since you have once more explained the 'purpose' of this record, perhaps you can answer a persisting query of mine that I have yet to pursue?" the owner of the feminine said, the sound of her seat creaking in her darkness as she moved.

The head of the table spoke curiously, "And said query would be?"

"I wish to fully understand why two of our seats are bare. Where have our dear brothers gone?"

"Hmmm… an understandable question. And, I have stated on numerous occasions before, this information will be clearly presented during this viewing…"

"Very well, thank you, brother. May we now continue?"

"Only if we are done questioning the purposes of this meeting. Each and every one of you should be well aware that all of my gatherings have a point that should be taken with unwavering care and attention. Now, let us continue…"

Click…

--

"Just like before, he assumes treachery…" Noir started chuckling. "Nothing has changed from before… hmmm, odd."

He entered another string of code.

"Play recording…"

--

The scene was much better lit compared to the previous one. There stood Noir, his hand caressing a large stone pillar that stood in the room. Along with the pillar, there were several other objects of various shapes and sizes. An impressive collection of artifacts from various eras.

"You and your trinkets, brother…" Noir commented to himself.

"They are very important to me, as you know, brother."

The reply came from an off-screen source, but it's origin soon appeared.

This figure was like Noir; clad in armor and very large in stature, though taller than Noir. His armor was golden, but had no markings. Unlike Noir and the rest of his brethren, this figure had no cloak. Instead, he had device located just below the back of his neck. Compared to Noir's helmet, this figures helmet was similar in design, but the "ears" of it were slightly larger. His eyes could not be seen behind the lenses of the helmet.

"I am aware of your little quirks. I must say you have far more of them than I would imagine to be healthy," Noir replied.

"Where is our brother Nero?" The golden figured asked.

"I'm sure he will be with us shortly, he was very busy when I spoke to him earlier," Noir said with an annoyed tone.

"He does what he feels is best for all of us, you shouldn't begrudge him over that."

"It is not that I am angry at him. You know full well that I love Nero more than anyone, but he knows that if you call a meeting, he should be prompt. We, as you know, have all the time in the world for research," Noir said, running his hand over an orb to the left of the pillar.

"Ah, yes, well do understand that despite the time that has been made available to us, Nero has taken the unknown into account."

"How do you mean," Noir asked.

"Ever since the mark, he has decided to live a far more productive life. He doesn't know when something could occur that would either leave him unable to continue his research or even end his life. We are not invincible."

"Don't try and act like you're as vulnerable as the rest of us, brother. We-" Noir coughed a bit, "… ah, that was unpleasant."

"Are you alright, brother?"

"You should know better than I," Noir said with an almost cold tone. "Anyway, I don't think you're little screening earlier helped. Nero's been even more preoccupied since you showed it to us."

"He is very dedicated to his work. Be it his own machinations or my own."

It was at that point that the doors behind them opened. A figure in black armor, holding a crutch, entered the room.

"Ah, Nero. You've arrived."

Nero armor almost exactly like Noir's. His, however, was far less severe, having no spikes or sharp points. His markings were like Noir's, only a soft tint of blue. His figure was very similar to Noir's only he was a bit shorter. His helmet was almost identical to Noir's, except for the faceplate, which was much more rounded in comparison.

Nero's voice was a bit weak; "I hope I didn't keep you both waiting for too long, it's been rather difficult to get around lately."

Noir almost hit himself in the head, "Of course, I forgot about that! I didn't take into account that you can't get around as quickly until you recover more."

"It's alright, Noir," Nero replied. He turned toward his golden-armored brother, "Well, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Nero. You see, it's about that recording that I showed you all. It is rather important for the two of you," the golden figure moved toward an case containing ancient armor from a lost civilization.

Noir cocked his head a bit, "Why is that?"

The figure turned to them, a light flashing for a moment before an envelope digitized his hand, "It's all in here. Normally, I do not do this, but I am compelled to now."

In the center of the room, a table rose out of the floor and the three gathered around it. The envelope's contents were spread out across the table.

"Your projects, have you given names for them yet?"

Both Noir and Nero nodded.

"So, what shall you call them?"

Noir glanced at Nero, who nodded in a agreement before speaking, "We decided that they will be called Abel and Caine. I will care for Abel while Caine will be in the care of Noir."

Their brother chuckled, "Yes, I know," he said as he removed a final piece of paper from the envelope.

The paper contained several codes and details. It was split into two sections, the first was labeled "ABEL" and the second was labeled "CAINE".

"Why bother asking if you already knew?" Noir asked.

"Despite my awareness, I still must follow the motions."

"You know good and well that there is no rule that forces you to act like you're an ignorant puppet like the rest of us," Noir remarked.

"We are all puppets, Noir, I'm just a puppet that can see the strings."

"You've said that before, several times, though I do not ever recall you taking such freedom as you have with this," Nero said quietly before coughing a bit.

"It is still no less true. Now, as for the matter at hand, I have another detail that I need you both to follow."

He flipped the paper over to reveal a reference. It was a detailed picture of a male Lombax from head to toe, in his mature, adolescent, and child forms.

"Ratchet?" Nero asked. "Odd name."

"Hmmm, very odd," Noir commented, "So what? We need to find this Lombax first?"

Their brother shook his head, "No, no. I want you to base your projects designs very closely to his body. It is not a concern if they would have distinctive markings or hair, but they must bare a striking resemblance to this Lombax."

"Now, why is that?" Noir asked.

"That is not important right now. All that needs to be a concern right now is to succeed in molding them to this form. Though I will say that this Lombax is what inspired this entire project."

"Very well, I'll begin work immediately. However, do you have any DNA for us to begin with?"

"No, I simply want the form to reference this Lombax. For a genetic base, use Mathius. That should speed up the process."

"If I don't have a genetic bas to use, it could decades to fully create a being with features other than those of the base! You do realize what you are asking, right? We'll be slaving over the code for quite some time," Noir stated.

"Yes, I am aware, but this is how it must be done."

Noir sighed, "Very well, brother, I'll see what I can-" Noir stopped suddenly, placing a hand on his head.

Nero became concerned, "Brother, are you alright?"

"Yes… yes… I'll be fine. I'll be off now to see what I can do. I have a feeling we'll have to work together far more closely than we anticipated before, Nero. I'll contact you later when I've made some headway with the initial process," Noir said as he left the room.

Nero gave a final glance toward the doorway before turning back to his older brother, "What is wrong with him?"

"Do not worry, Nero. He will recover from what ails him."

"Hmm, very well. I trust you know better than I, brother," Nero said as he kept looking back at the paper with the reference of Ratchet, "Brother, why is there no age given here?"

"That is another reason why Mathius will be the genetic marker."

"What do you mean?" Nero asked.

"You see, this 'Ratchet' has yet to be born nor will he be for quite some time."

--

The tape ended and Noir laid back in his chair, fingertips together as he stared at the static on the screen.

From the darkness behind Noir, a figure watched him, it's tail swaying back and forth before it left the room.

Noir ignored the sound of the door shutting as he stared at the screen. He began to chuckle to himself.


	38. Life or Death

Alright, see, I'm still trying to post at a reasonable rate xD

* * *

Ratchet shot up out of the bed in a cold sweat. "What the hell was that?!" he said to himself, his heart racing.

He had had a nightmare, a horrible one. The problem was that it was a complete and indefinable blur. He couldn't remember anything about it even if he tried, despite his mind screaming for him to leave it be.

He turned to let his feet rest on the ground, looking back to see if Abel was asleep. The loud snoring was a definite answer, much to Ratchet's amusement. He finally stood up, looking around and letting his eyes adjust to the darkness.

He finally sighed to himself, "It'd be nice if we were back on the Phoenix…"

There was a click in the darkness, causing Ratchet to snap to attention. His sight shot across what little he could see until something caught it. It was just inside the doorway leading out into the corridors. Ratchet realized what it was and felt himself turn white.

They were eyes, glowing in the darkness, focusing on only Ratchet.

"Wh- who are you?" Ratchet asked, feeling a bit nervous.

No response.

"Who's there?!" Ratchet growled.

There was no response still, but the eyes vanished and Ratchet could hear their owner running off.

"WAIT!" Ratchet yelled, running off after him.

Abel was pulled out of his slumber by Ratchet's yelling, but he was still not completely awake, "R…Ratchet? Why are," he yawned, "…you yelling?"

Ratchet was long gone at this point.

--

It was much brighter outside of the room, and Ratchet eyes had to adjust to sudden change. It was creepy to him, because the lights of the corridor had kicked on after the figure had left that particular area. In fact, he still couldn't see the person he was chasing, but he knew how far away he was from him because the lights around this character would shut off and then turn back on when he was no longer near them.

It was like Ratchet was chasing the darkness.

Abel stepped out of the room just in time to see Ratchet turn the corner of the hallway and out of sight.

--

Ratchet was beginning to fall behind; whoever this person was, he was fast.

"Damnit, slow down!" Ratchet yelled.

He was just able to see the lights turn on at the end of the corridor and cut off down the left path before he lost sight completely. Ratchet let out a burst of speed and rushed to the corner, but came to screeching halt when he turned the corner to see nothing but darkness ahead of him and the same glowing eyes right in front of him.

Ratchet had to catch his breath a bit before speaking, "Who… the hell are you?!"

There was a chuckle from the darkness before Ratchet could see the eyes turn a bit and dart to the left before disappearing completely.

"HEY, WAIT!" Ratchet yelled.

Before he could run after the figure again, he heard a door close. Suddenly, all the lights kicked back on in the hallway, revealing the origin of the sound. It was another large doorway.

Ratchet stood before it and looked around, making sure that no one was going to follow him into it for an ambush, "Well, here goes nothing."

The door opened for him and stepped through into a surprising lit room. It was a massive area, but lacking in anything like furniture. It was like a bit storage room that had yet to be used. The only thing that stood in it was a lone figure, a Lombax with his back turned to Ratchet and Ratchet had a sneaking suspicion that he knew who it was. The door behind him shut and locked.

The Lombax turned to face Ratchet with a malicious grin on his face.

"Huh, back from the infirmary, 919?" Ratchet said with a smirk.

The grin on 919's face contorted into a furious snarl, "YES, I'M BACK!! I'm going to pay you back for last time!"

Ratchet's tail swayed back and forth at this and he smiled to himself, "You know, if you had stuck around that infirmary long enough, I bet they would have found a way to pull that stick out of your ass." He put his hands on his hips, trying to make his body language anger 919 even more.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" 919 screamed as he rushed at Ratchet, closing the gap between them with incredible speed.

Ratchet immediately fell back, flipping backwards onto his hands and pulling his legs close to his chest before lashing out with a powerful kick.

919 moved too fast to be able to move out of the way before the hit connected with his stomach, giving Ratchet the opportunity to use his momentum against him and sent him flying into the wall above the doorway with a loud crash before falling to the floor with a thud.

Ratchet threw himself back onto his feet and into an offensive stance, "Now, do you see what happens when you don't let out all that hot air in your head?"

919 took a moment to get to his feet, growling a bit, "So you think you're something special? You think you're going to beat me, is that it?"

"Uh, yeah," Ratchet said bluntly.

"Alright, new tactic…" 919 said, cracking his knuckles and neck.

"Oooo, the big man's got a plan!" Ratchet mocked.

"Indeed I do…" 919 said, bringing his hand up.

Ratchet grinned as he readied himself, "And that would be?"

"Lights out!" 919 yelled as he snapped his fingers.

There was a flicker in the lights before everything went black.

"Oh you've gotta be kidding me!" Ratchet yelled.

There was no response from 919.

Ratchet started to feel a bit nervous in the darkness and there was no light for his eyes to adjust to. He couldn't hear anything from 919; the guy was either sitting still while holding his breath, or he was extremely stealthy.

There was click behind Ratchet.

Ratchet immediately turned to face it, expecting an attack from behind, but nothing happened.

There was another click to the left.

Ratchet didn't turn to face it this time as he suspected 919 was trying to confuse him, "These little tricks aren't going to do you any good! COME ON OUT!!"

"AS YOU WISH!" 919 roared.

Ratchet had no time to react before he was struck in the back and fell forward, "GAH!"

919 could be heard chuckling for a moment before he went silent again.

"Is… is that your best sho-"

In a flash, Ratchet was struck again, this time from the right. Then he was hit again from the front. He was struck again and again from a different direction each time until he was on the ground coughing.

919 began to laugh again, "How does it feel? Perhaps you should learn a little respect, vermin!"

Ratchet struggled a bit, but then managed to get to his feet, "Heh… I've had worse."

"I'll have to change that."

Before Ratchet knew it, he was being hit again from all sides. Then, the hits all seemed to cease and he thought he would have a moment to breathe.

Suddenly, the lights all came to life, blinding Ratchet momentarily. The moment he managed to regain a bit a vision, he was able to see 919's foot before it connected with his face in a flying kick that sent him flying backwards.

Ratchet skid across the ground a few feet before coming to halt. It took moment before his eyes shot open and he flew up into a sitting position and cupped his bloodied nose, "SONUVA BITCH!! You broke damn my nose!"

919 laughed, "It's not fun when something breaks, is it?"

Ratchet opened his right eye and glared at 919, "So what, you want me to apologize?!"

919 smirked, "No, no… I just want you to…"

Before Ratchet could even think, 919 had rushed at him, grabbed him by the neck with his left hand, and forced him down to the ground.

"…Scream!"

There was a distinct sound that comes from a stab, and then Ratchet felt a heat in his left shoulder before he suddenly felt the pain. He roared in agony.

919 laughed like a mad man, "That's a start! Now let's make the other side match!"

919 ripped the blade out of Ratchet's shoulder and brought it up over his head, clasping it with both hands for another stab.

Ratchet screamed as the blade was pulled out, but took advantage of the window he had been given. Without hesitation, he flew up, his head slamming into 919's with almost deadly force.

919 screamed and fell back as the knife flew out of his grip. He only had enough to register the immense pain in his bloodied nose and forehead before Ratchet was on top of him.

Ignoring the pain in his left shoulder, Ratchet used his left arm to grab 919's throat and hold him down as he slammed his fist into his enemy's face over and over again.

919 could only yelp and whine in pain with each smack, unable to see what he was grabbing at in an attempt to get Ratchet off of him. He grabbed at the arm that held him down, clawing at it to no avail. He began to gurgle and cough up blood, but it was then that his hand ran over the knife wound on Ratchet's shoulder. Without hesitating, he drove his thumb into the wound, sending Ratchet howling and tearing away from him.

Ratchet rolled away from 919 and into a kneeling position, panting heavily with his hand clasping his injured shoulder, ignoring his blurred vision caused by his watering eyes, "Bastard… is that… is that all you've got? Dirty… tricks?!"

919 had a hand over his battered nose and forehead, "Says… the one who… attacked me when my back was turned!"

Ratchet didn't take that comment well, "Look here, you overzealous asshole! YOU attacked me FIRST! YOU used a cheap trick last time and you sure as hell have used a bunch of them NOW! First you try to blind me, then you bring a fucking KNIFE to a FIST FIGHT! I'm well within my rights to put you six feet under for all this shit!"

919 got to feet quickly, albeit shaky, "I care not for your opinion of my tactics! My only goal is to make you suffer for all the trouble you've caused! It is very obvious that you are not an ally of Caine and anyone who is problem for Caine must be dealt with! On top of all that, you've caused commotion among younglings and workers alike!"

Ratchet wiped his eyes as he rose to feet, becoming far more infuriated than he thought he could ever be, "You goddamn idiot! Do you realize that the whole reason they are probably talking amongst themselves is because of the commotion YOU caused and that you got yourself put in the infirmary?!"

919 quaked a bit before snarling, "The only at fault is yo-"

"AND ONE MORE THING! The ONLY reason why Caine and I are hostile towards each other is because HE is a murdering psychopath that killed several innocent people and has tried to hurt Abel on SEVERAL occasions! You want me dead because I'm a 'problem' for Caine?! Does that mean I'd be on your little hit list if I were even just an inconvienence?! Did he send you to kill me or is all just an sad little attempt to win back your pride and please him?!" Ratchet roared.

"How DARE you s-"

"How dare I what?! Speak the truth?!" Ratchet suddenly cocked his head, grinning with an idea, "Tell me something, you're so eager to please Caine, apparently. How often are you bent over for him? Are you on your knees a lot?"

"What?" A look of confusion was apparent on 919's face.

Ratchet chuckled, although it hurt a bit, "His dick, you dumbass, how often do you suck it?!"

At that, 919 snapped, the apparent realization of what Ratchet had insinuated and utter fury took hold of him as he rushed at Ratchet, screaming at the top of his lungs in war cry of sorts.

Ratchet smirked, knowing he could use his opponent's anger against him, as he got into a defensive stance.

919 leapt into the air, his arm pulled for a powerful punch, still roaring as loud as he could. As soon as he had closed the distance between himself and Ratchet, he launched his fist at him.

Just before the hit connected, Ratchet ducked under it, having to ignore the pain that shot through his left arm as he grabbed 919's forearm and shoulder and threw him down to the ground, head first, onto his back.

919 hit the ground with a pained grunt, but as soon as Ratchet was on top of him to try and pummel him again, he threw both legs up and wrapped them around Ratchet's neck.

Ratchet immediately remembered the time Abel did this to him as well, but he was only able to grab 919's foot with his good arm before his head was pulled back and slammed into the ground, sending him into a painful daze, though he was pretty sure the heat he felt from the back of his head was blood.

919 then kicked up, rolling Ratchet onto his stomach as he leapt onto Ratchet's back and grabbed the dazed Lombax's right arm, using his locked left arm to hold Ratchet's upper arm in place while grabbing Ratchet's forearm with his right hand before he pulled hard with his right hand.

SNAP!

Ratchet was immediately sobered up from his daze, screaming in pain. He immediately thrashed and kicked back with surprising flexibility, landing a kick right into the back of 919's head.

As 919 fell off of him, Ratchet rolled to the side into a kneeling position and grabbed his arm, "Damnit!"

Ratchet was finding it more difficult to try and just ignore the searing pain that 919 was inflicting on him throughout this fight and he knew he would have to end it now, even if it meant killing his opponent with his bare hands.

919 slowly started to come out of his own dazed state, using one hand to grab the back of his head while he very slowly rose to his feet.

This was it, and Ratchet knew it. He forced his muscles to act as he leapt up and ran at 919. As soon as he reached his opponent, he raised his right foot as he high as he could and heel-stomped the center of 919's back, raising an agonized scream out of him.

919 fell back to the ground, his right hand immediately trying to grab at the hurt area.

Ratchet, however, wasn't done. He took a sidestep so that he was now at 919's feet. It only took him a few moments to decide his action before he leapt up and used all of his might to slam his feet into 919's ankles with a sickening crack.

If he had the opportunity, 919 would have more than likely screamed just as Ratchet had. However, the moment he lifted his head to scream, Ratchet's left arm wrapped around his throat and he was lifted up into a blood choke with his own weight working against him.

Ratchet had never actually had to use this technique in a real combat situation, but now he was ready to hold this carotid restraint until the life left his opponent's body. Every time 919 would try to weakly grab at his head or arms, Ratchet would yank hard and knock even more wind out of his opponent.

Five seconds had passed; Ratchet only had to hold on for a little longer and it would all be over. 919 was beginning to black out, only able to lightly grip at the arm around his neck and weakly whimper in pain.

919's arms finally fell limp and Ratchet knew one more second would end it.

"Enough," came a voice suddenly, its tone was cold and emotionless.

Ratchet immediately let go of 919, who hit the ground with little more than a thud. He turned in his kneeling position to see who had spoke, surprised when actually didn't have to look around for long.

This figure was right in front of him, standing over him, though his voice had been distant only a second before. Ratchet's gaze slowly rose up, taking the details of the character in.

Unlike Ratchet and 919, the character wore black boots that ended below his kneecaps. What little of his black pants that could be seen were tight on his legs. Above that, he wore a sort of robe, long and black, though it had no sleeves. The tail of the robe separated in the front and back just above his hips and under it was a garment the covered the crotch of his pants and ended below his knees. At the very top of the robe was a hood that was pulled back and hung down his back.

His face was disturbing. It was very obvious that he was a Lombax, but he most certainly was different from the rest of the cloned ones. The most notable parts of his face were the eerie red color of his iris' and the Glasgow-smile scar that extended from only the right side of his mouth. He had no hair, unlike Caine and Abel, instead he only had a black marking in the center of his head that ran from the back to just above his brow, ending in a point.

Ratchet involuntarily gulped, before his hand moved back to his injured arm, "Wh... who are you?"

The robed Lombax cocked an eyebrow, his tongue visibly licking the inside of his lips, before he twitched his head a bit, "They call me Number One."

* * *

This chapter is the reason why the fight between Ratchet and 919 was so short. I was intending that one to be a just a set up for a bigger one. I really hope this fight was a lot better than that last one.

Enjoy^^


	39. Psychosis

Bam! Here's a short one compared to the last one D:

* * *

"Number One?" Ratchet audibly gulped, knowing that this could be very bad for him.

"I'm someone who doesn't cares to repeat himself…" Number said with a bluntly, licking his lip again as he turned his right hand hand to reveal a "1" on the back of it. He tilted his head to look past Ratchet, "Hmm, you really did a number on 919. I must say, breaking both ankles like that. Well, that's just cold."

Ratchet slowly got up into a standing position, letting his left hand fall away from his broken right arm, "You thinking about fighting me to? That bastard got what was coming to him and I won't go down without a fight if you try it."

There was a faint banging at the door behind them, but neither Lombax seemed to notice it.

"Calm down, kid. You really aren't in a position to be making threats, considering you're condition," Number One commenting, making a clicking sound with his lips like a punctuation to his sentence.

Ratchet was already balling his left hand into a fist. This guy was completely weird to him. He couldn't tell if Number One wanted to fight him as well, or was just testing him to see what he would do. For all he knew, the scar-faced Lombax may not have had any plans to hurt him, but Ratchet just couldn't read him if he tried. To make matters worse, the guy's body language, the twitching here and there, the constant licking and clicking of his lips, it was all some kind of nervous, but this character had no air of nervousness about him. Ratchet found it a bit unnerving to be unable to read this person at all.

"Now I hope that fist isn't intended for me," Number One said with a rather creepy tone, "If you are so intent on picking a fight with me," he moved his mouth in way as if he were chewing on something, "because of some misguided attempt to protect yourself because you think I'm going to hurt you out of revenge for the fool that effectively trounced or some other ridiculous notion like that…"

Number One did not finish the sentence, as if he were waiting for a response from Ratchet. He turned his head to the right a bit and began eyeing Ratchet with his wide-open right eye with the other one squinted. All the while, he continued to chew on whatever imaginary substance was in his mouth.

Ratchet still did not loosen his fist, unsure of what to make of this.

Then, Number One's eyes flared with a sudden anger. Ratchet had no time to think before a hand had flown out and latched onto his throat. With one swift motion, Ratchet had been thrown to the floor and was now being held in place with Number One's face uncomfortably close to his.

"I do not like it when any of these little whelps that work on this ship fail to answer me, so you can go ahead and assume that an indignant guest like yourself is in a far worse position if you do the same. I expect some sort of response! Something to lighten the mood!" An eerie smile seemed to form on Number One's face, which was made more disturbing by his scar, "So, in this case I like to break the tension with a little magic trick…"

Number One sat up a bit, still holding Ratchet down by the throat. He looked behind him, towards 919's unconscious body and then around it, ignoring Ratchet's useless struggling. Then he looked around himself and Ratchet, clicking his lips a bit. His eyes brightened up when he finally found what he was looking for, reaching out beyond Ratchet's head to pick up whatever it was he had found.

"Let me GO!" Ratchet cried.

"Huh, but you haven't even heard about the magic trick yet…" Number One replied, being very nonchalant as he revealed the same knife that 919 had used, sending Ratchet into a frenzy as he tried to get away from the threat.

"NO! LET GO, LET GO!" Ratchet screamed.

"Ah, shh, shh, shh," Number One said with a disturbing sincerity. "Now I hate it when people jump to conclusions about me, it's very annoying."

He brought the knife of up to Ratchet's face, who turned away from it instinctively, and then brought his own face dangerously close to blade as well.

"Now look at me," he said a calm tone.

Ratchet continued to look away from him, his eyes closed tight.

Number One cocked his eyebrow for only a moment before exploding, "LOOK AT ME!"

The volume of his voice was both earsplitting and shocking, causing Ratchet do nothing more than snap to attention, turning his head and looking at Number One with eyes wide open.

"That's better. Now for the magic trick," Number said cheerfully, slowly moving his hand and the blade away from their faces and towards the knife wound in Ratchet's left shoulder, ignoring the increased pace of Ratchet's breathing. He continued moving the blade around until it was hovering over Ratchet's gut, "You see, I'm gonna make the knife disappear."

Ratchet jerked, "NO!"

The knife was immediately brought back up to their faces. Number One went as far as to stick the blade in Ratchet mouth so that it was between his right cheek and teeth, not cutting it but making it dangerously possible, "Now what did I say about assumptions?"

Ratchet only gulped.

"Now I'd suggest you be very careful or else you may end up with a scar like this one," Number One pulled the blade out of Ratchet's mouth and ran the tip of the blade across his scar, licking the inside of his lip as he did it. "Now, as I was saying, I'm going to do a magic trick. I'll make this blade disappear and it will be up to you where it goes…"

Ratchet whimpered.

"It can go in your gut," he moved the blade back to Ratchet's stomach, "it can go back in your shoulder," he moved it to the knife wound, "I can even put it in your eye…"

As the knife became dangerously close to his eye, Ratchet could only close his eyes tight.

"Or, it could disappear into my robe and you can realize how all of this could have been avoided had you not gone on the defensive…" Number One said without emotion as he let go of Ratchet and slipped the blade into his robe.

As the weight of Number One left Ratchet's stomach, Ratchet slowly opened his eyes, not exactly sure what had just happened. He blinked.

Number One turned around looked over 919's body, before kicking him in the side, "Pathetic…" He walked over to the doorway, the banging from it had already ceased. He tapped a few keys on the panel and the door opened to reveal an annoyed Abel who's face went white when he realized who was standing in front of him.

"Hello, Abel…"

"Nu- Number ONE?!" Abel was utterly shocked.

"In the flesh… I suspect you are looking for him?" Number One sidestepped of the way so that Abel could see Ratchet, who was till on the floor, although now in a sitting position and clutching his broken arm.

Abel only took a moment to realize that Ratchet was hurt before he bolted from the doorway and was kneeling by Ratchet, "Oh my GOD! Ratchet, are you okay?! Did he do this to you?!" Abel turned a very furious gaze towards Number One, though it didn't seem to affect him.

"No, Abel. It was that asshole there," Ratchet said, pointing at the still unconscious 919. "Bastard broke my arm, my nose, and even stabbed me with a damn knife! Got him back though, he won't be walking for a while."

Abel had a look of utter shock in his eyes when he finally noticed 919. The shock was quickly replaced with anger, but that faded as well when he turned his attention back to Ratchet, grabbing him and hugging him tightly.

"Gah! Abel, too tight!" Ratchet groaned.

"Sorry, I'm just glad you're all right. I had no idea you were in here fighting. No one would tell me where you had run off to or why. When I finally figured out you were in here, the door was locked and I couldn't hear anything," Abel said, loosening his grip a bit, but still holding on to Ratchet.

"It's okay, Abel, I- AHH!" Ratchet shrieked, as Number One was now standing over the both of them with 919 slumped over his shoulder.

"Calm down, I'm not going to do anything to you…"

"Stay the hell away from me!" Ratchet yelled.

"What did he do?!" Abel asked urgently.

"Oh, nothing much, aside from running a blade all over my body!" Ratchet growled.

Number One chuckled, "I would not have used such means to get you to listen had you simply not been so quick to assume I was going to hurt you. However, since you seemed to think I would hurt you, I took the opportunity to have some fun. Just be glad that's all I did. Next time, I may just have to use something that leaves a mark."

Abel rose to his feet with lightning speed, "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! If you ever come near him again, I will tear you to pieces! Do you understand, you freak?!"

Number One licked his lips, "Oh well. I'll be on my way then. Though I would suggest he take a trip to the infirmary and get patched up. He's still bleeding, after all."

With that, Number One left with 919 and the door shut behind him, laughing to himself all the way out of earshot.

"Bastard," Abel said under his breath as he kneeled next to Ratchet. He sighed a bit, not looking forward to what he was thinking about doing, "Ratchet, can I see your arm?"

"Which one?"

"The broken one…"

"You're not gonna…"

"Yeah, we kinda have to. I don't have anything for you to bite down on."

Ratchet sighed, "Fine, just do it quick."

Abel picked up Ratchet's arm, making the injured Lombax wince in pain, placing a hand in each appropriate spot, "Brace yourself…"

Ratchet grit his teeth and closed his eyes tight.

CRACK!

"GRRRRRAAAAAAAAAH!"

A few seconds later, Abel hoisted Ratchet up and wrapped an arm around him while Ratchet threw his right arm over Abel's shoulders, cringing when he did.

As they began to head to the infirmary, Abel giggled a bit, "You know… you're really bad at making friends on this ship."

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

I wanted a light-hearted ending to this chapter, so bear with me. I'm all for fucking with characters, but I don't think ending another chapter on an unpleasant note would be a good thing.

I'm all for critisism, but I'm also not a licensed doctor, so if I did screw up when it comes to fixing a busted arm, I'm really not too worried about it.


	40. Go With The Flow

Holy hooplah, I did another one D:

I figured 39 would be the last one for now, but I just couldn't end with a half-closure chapter (I don't mean closure as in "this is where the story ends" so don't worry).

This will be the last chapter for a bit (at least I'm guessing it will be)

* * *

Abel set Ratchet down on the bed gently. They had arrived, to Ratchet's relief, with no other commotion, though Ratchet had been surprised that 919 was nowhere in site.

A rather skinny Lombax with a number 47 on his, his frame much like 411's, greeted them both, "What seems to be the problem, Master Abel?"

Abel chuckled, "Well, my friend went and got his butt kicked by 919."

There was a growl from Ratchet and Abel threw his arms up in surrender, "Actually Doc, I'm guessing you're the doctor, I gave 919 just a big of a thrashing. Though he did get me with a knife. I also think my arm needs a sling and I could really use anything that would make my nose feel better."

47 cocked his eyebrow, "Yes, I am a medical specialist on this ship, a doctor, as you put it. Judging from what you said and the apparent damage I'm seeing, I'd say you are correct for the most part. Some nanotech could reverse the damage to your nose, shoulder and… My word, I see you have taken the liberty of reducing your arm yourself. It's obvious that your elbow has suffered dislocation from the bruising. It is very likely you have suffered some fracturing in your elbow, likely in the humerus, the ulna, or both depending upon how it was dislocated." He seemed to do some figures in his head, "Yes, a sling would be necessary, some ice for the swelling, all of which will help the nanotech to repair the damage done. As for your nose, that will be a far simpler repair. I'll have to take care of your shoulder as soon as possible, it will take precedence over the other injuries."

The doctor moved over to a cabinet, saying something to one of his assistance that was not audible to Abel or Ratchet. He pulled out gloves, and a few other objects that Ratchet could not see.

Ratchet's ears drooped a bit and Abel noticed this, "What's wrong with you?"

"I umm… I just remembered something I really hate about these places…" Ratchet said nervously.

"Oh, and what's that?" Abel asked as he sat on the edge of the bed, next to Ratchet's side.

"Alright, Master Ratchet, I'm about ready with the IV, I'll assume you would not like to be injected in the bruised arm."

Abel was almost thrown off of the bed when Ratchet hopped off the bed in a yellow blur, "AH!"

47 had a confused look on his face, "Is… there a problem?"

Abel looked at the doctor, then at Ratchet. It took moment before he realized that Ratchet wasn't looking at the doctor, but at what was in his hand. "Ratchet… are you afraid of needles?"

"Umm… no! I'm not afraid of little needle!" Ratchet said rather defensively.

Abel couldn't help but giggle at this, "Really…" He looked over at the doctor, "Could I see that syringe for just a moment?"

The needle was given to Abel and Ratchet shifted uncomfortably, "Aaabel?"

Abel grinned mischievously before twitching his hand with the syringe in it suddenly, making Ratchet jump. Abel's eyes brightened up, "HAH! I knew it! You are afraid of needles!"

Ratchet's ear drooped again, "Shut up! I hate those things!"

Abel quickly handed the syringe back to 47. He stood up and walked up to Ratchet, placing a hand gently on Ratchet's right shoulder, "Come on, it's not that bad. After all, you just got stabbed with a knife. Compared to that, a needle is nothing!"

Abel moved to Ratchet's right side, moving hand so that is was now under his left arm and his other hand replaced the first on Ratchet's shoulder. He began to move closer to the bed, steering Ratchet back to the bed and, to Abel's surprise, with little resistance.

He finally managed to get Ratchet back into the bed, this time opting to lay beside him, never moving his hands away from their positions, "Let 47 gives you the nanotech and I promise you'll start to feel better… cuz if you don't, I'm gonna tell all your friends about this and you'll never live it down," Abel giggled.

Ratchet gave a low whine before finally sighing, "Fine…"

Abel's smile became too big for his face, "Yay!"

--

Number One threw 919 to the ground from off of his shoulder, making the injured Lombax cry out in pain. He knelt next to 919, "So… tell me something… I give you a second chance to win against the newbie and you fail… Why is that?"

919 could only whimper in pain.

Number One licked his lips, "Now, that was not the answer I was looking for…" He tapped his robe with his fingers for a moment, "You even used a weapon against him, as well as using the darkness to your advantage. Even after all that and the work I put into leading him to that room myself, you couldn't even put him the ICU."

919 coughed, trying to form words.

Number One popped his lips, "Do you realize that you basically handed him a successful audition. Everything was recorded. Sure, I wouldn't have allowed you to kill him, but that's not the point…"

919 was now terrified.

Number One twitched his head, looking up as if thinking about something, "You know, speaking of points…" He pulled 919's knife from his robe, "Hold this."

SHINK!

919 howled in pain as the knife was stabbed into his left shoulder to the very hilt.

"How very disgraceful… I set up everything for you and you don't even bother to do things right. When you use a knife, you should savor all the little emotions that come with it! It's just rude to not let the victim be who they truly are at the epitome of pain and terror. No, instead of twisting, you removed the blade and tried to be a show off! A GOD DAMN SHOW OFF! I CAN'T STAND FOOLS WHO THINK THEY KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY OPERATE SUCH AN ARTISTIC TOOL!"

"P-please, please forgive me!" 919 pleaded wea, tears streaming down his face.

"Oh don't worry," Number One said, suddenly grabbing 919 by his left ankle and eliciting another scream of pain, "… all forgiveness comes with time. In the mean time," he began dragging 919 along with him, ignoring the agonized sounds coming from his subordinate, "… perhaps I should show you how to properly utilize such a wonderful tool with a few first hand lessons, eh?!"

As he pulled the screaming Lombax along with him, he caught the attention of several workers and younglings, who watched in horror as Number One pulled 919 through a doorway and the door shut behind him, silencing the screams but causing the observers to chatter amongst themselves.

--

With a final tug, 47 finished stitching Ratchet's shoulder. He snipped the thread and gave a satisfied grin, "Looks like we're all done here."

Ratchet signed in relief. His nose was covered with a rather large bandage and his right arm was secured with a sling that he found rather comfortable. Abel had volunteered to take care of the bandages so that 47 could focus all of his attention on Ratchet' shoulder.

Ratchet was no longer in any pain thanks to the injection he had received. Apparently the doctor had given him a concoction of standard nanotech and pain-killers in a single injection.

Abel started laughing to himself, "Wow, Ratchet. You look really intimidating like that."

"God, you're an ass today!" Ratchet said in annoyance.

"Oh, come on. Smile, pleeeeeeease?" Abel said in a sincere tone.

Ratchet sighed a bit, before finally smiling, "Happy?"

Abel made an odd motion for just a split-second, but then smiled brightly again, "Yes!"

Ratchet smiled a little more, "I'm glad."

--

Ratchet laid down in the bed in Abel's room, loving how much more comfortable it was compared to the infirmaries' beds, "Thanks for the help, Abel. It would have sucked to walk all the way back here like this without any help, even if I'll be back to normal soon. I love nanotech."

Abel laid down next to him, but didn't respond to what he had said.

"I guess I'll just have to be more careful. God damn, there are so many crazy Lombaxes on this ship. Do you think it's cuz I'm not one of them, Abel?"

No response.

"Abel?"

Ratchet turned his head to look at Abel and was shocked at what he saw.

There were tears running down Abel's face, all the while Abel was staring straight at Ratchet, almost looking into him with an eerily piercing gaze.

"A- Abel?! What's wrong?"

Abel suddenly latched onto Ratchet, holding him tight, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that I wasn't there to help you. I had no idea you were hurt… I had no idea." His voice did not crack, despite the tears.

Ratchet was utterly confused, "Where is this coming from?! You were all happy and making jokes earlier. Why are you starting to fall apart now?"

"I… I just didn't want to cause a spectacle… I was hoping to keep you smiling. As long as you weren't panicking, I wouldn't either. It's stupid, I know, but… I just thought that I shouldn't draw any more attention to you if I didn't have to."

"I… I think I understand what you mean. Look, I'm fine now and I'll be back to normal soon. All I need is rest," Ratchet said.

There was silence for a moment, before Abel spoke, "Ratchet?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you promise me that you will let go with you where ever you go on this ship. I don't think anyone will try to hurt you again if I'm with you," Abel said, his grip tightening slightly.

"Umm… sure. That sounds like a pretty good idea. Thanks," Ratchet said with a smile, lifting his left arm over Abel's head and then resting it on Abel's shoulder.

Abel was caught off guard by what Ratchet did, "You're… okay with me laying with you like this?"

"It's obvious you're most comfortable like this, and considering what all you've done for me… well, I couldn't say no, even if I wanted to. It certainly helps that I'm pretty comfortable like this too. You're kinda like a big teddy bear."

"Shut up…" Abel said with a faint smile, adjusting his head so that it was on Ratchet's chest.

Ratchet chuckled a bit before closing his eyes, "'Go with the flow' is really starting to sound like a nice philosophy." His last word was punctuated with a yawn and before long he was asleep and snoring.

Abel blinked at that comment, almost wanting to wake Ratchet up to ask him what he meant by it. He thought about it for a little while, before he noticed that it made him feel happy to hear him say that, even if he didn't know why. He lifted his head and looked at Ratchet, thinking for a bit before he let his head rest again on Ratchet's chest. He thought about it for a moment, before he turned his head slightly and planted a light kiss on Ratchet's chest.

He smiled to himself before he closed his eyes, nuzzling his face into Ratchet's chest a bit. It only took a few moments before he too yawned and was asleep.

* * *

(comment removed to preserve the sweetness of the ending xD)

I hope you guys enjoy, it was fun to write^^


	41. Foresight

I intended to have this thing up yesterday, but the April Fool's Day virus scare had me spending hours backing up everything and what not.

* * *

Abel shot up out of his bed, breathing heavy, "Holy hell…"

"You alright?"

Abel looked toward where the voice originated from to see Ratchet, who was stretching his arms and back. "Ratchet, you're up?"

"Yeah, I feel awesome. I woke up and my arms were all better, my nose wasn't all busted up either. I love this nanotech!" Ratchet almost shouted that last part, a goofy grin appearing on his face.

"It is pretty nice, huh? Though you probably shouldn't get used to it. I'm sure it's worn off since it has done its job," Abel said.

"Well… that would suck… except for one little thing…" Ratchet said with a smirk.

"Oh? What's that?" Abel said with a cocked brow.

"Heheheh… It's still working!" Ratchet said with glee, leaping up and latching onto the same bar that Abel had hung upside down from, "I've been running around for hours now! It's like I have a limitless supply of energy!" Ratchet shouted, ending his sentence with some very amused giggling.

Abel's jaw was in his lap. It took a bit before he finally figured out what to say, "H-how is this possible?"

Ratchet chuckled, "Hell if I know, but it's friggin' sweet! I mean, I kick ass, I know this much, but if I had this nanotech way back when… Oh, Nefarious woulda shit himself!"

Ratchet dropped back down to the ground almost silently as Abel got up off the bed, "Ratchet… are you feeling okay?"

"HELL YEAH!" Ratchet shouted.

Abel winced at the volume of the response, "Well, umm… it's just that you are really… hyper at the moment."

"Hyper?! Who's hyper?! I'm not hyper! I've never been hyper a day in my life! In fact, I'd say I'm the most mellow guy on this ship!" Ratchet sped through his words with lightning speed, then he suddenly stopped. His eyes went wide and then narrow, his hand shot out and pointed at Abel, "YOU'RE HYPER!"

Abel was taken aback by that last remark, "Huh?"

Ratchet shot up, his movements getting more sporadic by the second, "I AM HUNGRY!"

"Umm… okay, do you want to go get something to eat then?" Abel asked with caution.

Ratchet's eyes went wide, "YES!"

Abel has no chance to reply before Ratchet shot off, moving at the speed Abel once had. Abel blinked before he began to chase after Ratchet, "WAIT!"

Abel stepped out of the doorway and looked down both ends of the hallway, but didn't see Ratchet. The only sound he could hear was snoring. Abel began to look down.

"AHHH! RATCHET?!"

Ratchet was on the ground, fast asleep and snoring very loudly.

Abel kneeled down beside him and began to pick him up, "What the hell… is wrong with you today?" As he lifted Ratchet up onto his shoulders, Abel was almost thrown off balance by an unexpected problem, "Did you gain weight?!"

It took him a moment before Abel finally managed to put Ratchet back on the bed. He looked over his sleeping friend with a worried expression.

He took his right hand and poked Ratchet's stomach with his index finger. He then poked the sleeping Lombax's chest and arms.

"It's not fat… you… you've gained muscle mass?! What the hell is going on?!" Abel rubbed his head in confusion. It was then that he had a realization.

"What the hell did that doctor put in that nanotech?"

--

The door to the infirmary flew open with a loud bang, causing the Lombax doctor to jump, "My word! What are you-ACK!"

Abel had his hands tightly locked around the doctors neck before he could finish his question, "Why the hell is that nanotech still active in Ratchet?!"

The doctor tried to break Abel's grip in vain, "I… I have… no idea!"

"BULL SHIT!"

The doctor cried out as Abel's grip became almost lethal, "I'M T-TELLING… THE TRUTH!"

Abel growled and threw the doctor to the ground, who yelped when he landed, "Let me see the vial."

The doctor could only cough harshly as a response.

Without wasting a second, Abel was on one knees with one hand holding the doctor down and the other pulled back, ready to fly at the doctor's head, "Speak NOW!"

"I… DISPOSED OF IT! PLEASE, DON'T!"

Abel stood up and cracked his knuckles, "Bad move… now you're gonna look deep into that head of yours and remember what exactly was in it. Is that clear?!"

The doctor trembled in fear as he stood up slowly, "It was nanotech, just nanoteEH!"

In a flash, Abel had slammed the doctor against the wall, the force of it causing objects to fall off of cabinets, "What makes you think I won't break you in two?! What kind of nanotech?!"

The doctor whimpered, turning his head away from Abel, "Black… Black-Beta 3…"

Abel's eyes went red with anger, "THE SAME NANOTECH THAT'S IN ME?!"

--

411 neared the infirmary, meticulously describing the ship's design to the three large figures behind, "And we are now approaching the infirmary, it is very well kept by Number 47. He is-"

The closest figure, a male who was clad in purple armor, behind him sighed, "Yes, yes, 411. We are aware of this. This ship's has been a common knowledge among our group since long before you were even born. I don't mean to be rude, but despite your orders, a dialogue for the tour is not needed."

Another figure, clad in orange, spoke next, "Oh, calm down, P. He's just doing his job and you shouldn't gripe at him for that. So what if he's telling us the obvious?"

The furthest back figure, clad in green, was last to speak, "It's odd that Noir found this tour necessary, no?"

These words left 411 one with his head drooping. He was a bit embarrassed for boring these beings and their comments didn't help. He closed his eyes and sighed, before opening them as the door to the infirmary flew open just before they reached it.

SLAM!

The doctor slammed against the wall, sinking to the ground and slumping over as Abel leaped out of the infirmary with teeth bared.

411 and the figures all stopped immediately.

"Damn… That's hardcore," the orange figure commented.

Abel's ears twitched as he heard the comment. His face went white as he turned to see who was standing there, "411… Masters… Purpure, Vert, and Eklehs?!"

Purpure, the purple armored figure, spoke first after clearing his throat, "Well, hello, Abel. You've grown up since we last saw you. You seem to be far more… aggressive… since your childhood."

"Testosterone levels in his body have become noticeably high due to puberty's effects, no?" Vert, the green figure, commented.

"You became a little bad ass, huh? But, damn… you sure did a number on that poor guy." The orange figure, Eklehs, said.

411 was still a bit stunned, but he finally regained his composure, "Abel?! What in the hell are you doing?! You assaulted Number 47! Noir will tear you limb from limb when he hears of th-"

"Quiet, 411. The logical path to take here is to understand why this has happened. I would imagine that Abel did this for reasons other than to simply attack him. Abel, what say you?"

Abel gulped audibly, "I… I…"

In a split-second, Eklehs was next to Abel, kneeling beside him with a massive hand on his shoulder, "Come on, no need to stutter. We all know Caine's the angsty one. P and V over there were just joking about the anger thing, so what's up?"

Abel relaxed a bit, "It's my friend… he was hurt, so this bastard gave him some nanotech."

Eklehs nodded, "M' kay? That sounds like reasonable thing to do…"

"Odd reason to thrash a person, no?" Vert commented.

"It's not that simple! He gave my friend some of the Black-Beta 3 nanotech!" Abel cried.

The three figures looked at one another, before Purpure spoke, "I pray you have a better reason than that. I detest violence and such behavior will only mean I do not testify on your behalf. Nero will be expected to punish you, Ab-"

"Wait," 411 said, but cringed when he realized who he had interrupted, "I'm sorry, Master Purpure, but this friend of his is not one of us. He's a natural… a progenitor."

There was a collective gasp from the three armored beings.

"Well, that's not good," Eklehs said.

"Unfortunate effects, no?" Vert commented.

"That changes things… a bit…" Purpure cupped his masked chin with his right hand, "Upper Syndrome… Hmm, that could be a problem for this friend of yours, Abel. However…" Purpure walked over to Abel and glared down at him.

Abel gulped once more, but could do nothing more before he was lifted swiftly onto the purple being's leg, his mid-section pinned between Purpure's armored knee and left hand.

SWAT!

Abel yelped as he was released, searing pain shooting from his rump up his back and down his legs.

Eklehs shook his head as he watched Abel try to soothe his backside, "Yeesh, that's gotta sting."

"Purpure has not disciplined Abel in such a way for several years now, no?" Vert commented.

Abel was hopping up and down, trying to soothe himself, "GOD, THAT HURTS!"

"Then perhaps next time you will not use such hasty and forceful methods when they are not called for," Purpures gaze shifted to the still unconscious 47, "The doctor needs to be awakened, I wish to hear his side of the story."

411 nodded, approached 47, and then kneeled beside him. "47, can you hear me? Wake up."

47 did not respond.

"47, come on… wake u-"

"Step aside, 411," Purpure commanded.

411 quickly moved as Purpure kneeled beside 47. He snapped his fingers and brought his hand up to 47's head. He extended his index finger and tapped 47's forehead.

47 jumped, as if he had been shocked, and was now fully awake, "AHHHH!"

"Calm down, everything is fine now," Purpure said with a soothing tone, "Now, tell us why you gave Black Beta 3 to this friend of Abel's."

47 looked around at those around him, before his eyes landed on Abel and he winced, "I…"

"Yesssss?" Eklehs said, getting a glare shot at him by Purpure.

"I was told to…" 47 said.

"By who?" Abel asked with a low growl, he too received a glare.

"Number One… he said if I didn't, I would meet a similar fate to 919…"

Abel was shocked, "WHAT?"

Purpure stood up, "Hmmm, that's very troubling.

Abel rushed up to 47, who flinched, "That doesn't make sense! Number One couldn't have spoken to you before I brought Ratchet to you! He went in the opposite direction and he was hauling around 919 on his shoulder!"

47 blinked in confusion, "What are talking about? Of course he didn't show up right before you brought Ratchet to me. He told me to do this two days ago!"

Abel took a step back, "… W- what?"


	42. His Games

Hey guys.

First off, I want to apologize for this crap taking so long, and it's not even as long as I would have liked. Though, I did put what I needed into it, so it's all good.

College the main reason for my inability to write anything as well as other reasons. Luckily, when I'm not able to work on it, I am at least thinking about it and planning. Of course, I have the main ideas all figured out and all that. I know how it ends, I know the twists and turns. It's just I sometimes might rework some of the smaller bricks (though I'm not saying I will be altering anything already done.)

Expect more now that I've actaully done another chapter.

* * *

Beep, beep, beep… ping!

"Hmm, it's ready…" Number One said with a chuckle.

He placed his hands on the valves beside him and began to turn them, "Turn, turn, turn until you can turn no more… Make sure the screws are tight, just below the breaking point…"

As the valves were turned, chains lifted a figure from the darkness below, his breathing shallow from pain. The sound of gears and other components came from various points of his body.

Number One released the valves and smirked, "Better than I expected… Better now than ever before…" he said, before he began laughing hysterically.

--

Number One stepped through his doorway, the same one he had pulled 919 through. He yawned a bit and then stretched.

There were others around him, looking at him with various expression of fear, worry, or morbid curiosity.

Number One stood there for a bit, very aware of all the eyes on him. He closed his eyes, licked his lips, and then smirked, "Tell me," he suddenly exclaimed, causing a unanimous jumping reaction from those looking at him, "do any of you know what it's like to have your worst fears stand before you?"

No one answered, though some gulping noises could be heard.

"Well, I suppose if none of you wish to find out…" he opened his eyes, "THEN GET BACK TO WORK!"

There was an almost violent speed in how quickly everyone else moved to return to their duties, making Number One chuckle coldly.

Number One turned to begin walking, but before he could take a step he heard the sound of running. He turned to look behind him.

"NUMBER ONE!" Abel roared, running as fast as he could with a look of fury on his face, Purpure and his companions not far behind, and 411 a ways further back.

Number One smirked.

--

Noir sat in the control room, looking over readings of various ship functions. Around him stood Weiss and Blanc.

"So, how long do you plan to keep us vaiting before you unveil ze latest project's results?" Weiss asked.

"Hmm… it won't be long now. Purpure, Eklehs, and Vert have arrived. Unforturnately, it seems many others will not be arriving… however, we can certainly expect Nero and…"

"Big Brother will be arriving? I'm shocked," Blanc said with a chuckled. "Lately, he's been keeping to himself in that fortress of his… Do you think he even remembers how to give a proper greeting?"

Weiss stifled a chuckle.

"Comments aside… we'll move to an immediate demonstration after the unveiling, both in a controlled setting and then actual field testing," Noir stated.

"A field test?" Blanc asked.

"Yes, though Nero is against it…" there was a low growl in Noir's voice. "We will test on Planet Krolkten V-35. The constant fighting of that planet have become an eyesore for others and myself. We will step in, end it swiftly, and then leave. All warring factions will be annihilated without any civilians or government knowing of our presence."

"How do you plan to accompleesh zat?" Weiss asked.

"You'll find out soon enough," Noir chuckled. "I know that Nero will arrive soon, we should see him within a da-"

The door to the control room flew open, catching them all off guard. Noir rose up and they all turned to see a very pained-looking Ratchet standing there.

--

"My, my, my… don't you look flustered!" Number One commented just before Abel's fist slammed into his face.

Number One feet remained in place, only his torso bent back until he was nearly at a ninety-degree angle. He began laughing maniacally.

Abel backed away a bit, "WHY THE HELL DID YOU MAKE 47 GIVE RATCHET THAT NANOTECH?!"

Number One laughed even harder as he returned his body to an upright stance, a bit of blood trickled from his nose. "You know… I asked myself that same question…"

Purpure and the rest reached them. Purpure stepped forth, "And? What is your reason for this behavior?"

"Hehehe… because I can. Because I'm capable of knowing how a fight's going to end before it even begins… Because I like the thought of being able to still hurt someone… even after they think they are safe and the fight is done for the time being" Number One replied before laughing again.

"Ugh, not cool…" Eklehs said.

"He always was terrible cruel and unpredictable, no?" Vert commented.

Abel clenched his fists, "A game? It's all a game to you?! You've put Ratchet's life in danger because you wanted to prove that you could?!"

Number One chuckled, "Like I need a better reason?"

Abel lowered his head, "I don't care anymore… I don't care if Noir kills me for doing it…"

Number One smirked as he moved his hands behind his back and then revealed them again, now gloved with sharp blades on the end of each fingers.

"This could get ugly," Purpure said, before, in a flash of light, he and his brothers readied their weapons. Each one holding a lance that matched their respective color scheme.

411 stepped back, "This is too much. I have to tell Master Noir!" he said as he ran off.

Number One laughed liked a madman, "You know, Abel. You're far too serious! Let's see if we can't put a smile on that face of yours!"

Abel growled, before reaching into his pocket and grabbing a small object and pulling it out, "You can try, you son of a bitch…" He clicked a button on the object and in an instant it had become a staff, which he readied.

"Oooo, fun!" Number One remarked.

Abel rushed forward as Number One readied himself, laughing the entire time.

--

Ratchet's breathing was heavy, his body covered in sweat, and his expression showing nothing but pure malice.

Noir's eyes narrowed, "What is the meaning of this?! I did not request your presence, nor did I-"

"SHUT UP!" Ratchet screamed. His breathing became more erratic and a growl was rising from his throat

Weiss leaned in to speak to Noir, "Noir… do you noteece anyzing wrong vit ze obnoxious von?"

Noir crossed his armed, "Perhaps… What do you want, Ratchet?"

Ratchet took a step forward, before he grabbed his head with his left hand, as if he had just been hit with a lead pipe, his claws becoming visible, "I'm going to FUCKING KILL YOU!"

Light flashed from Noir and his brethren as their weapons formed. Noir readied a blade, Blanc cracked a metal whip, and Weiss held a blaster in each hand as Ratchet leapt at Noir.

* * *

Well, hope you guys like the build-up xD


	43. Slight of Hand

Hola, everybody. So, yes it has been a bit since the last chapter update. Well, you'll all be pleased to know that you'll get a nice little set of updates over the course of... the very near future, lol.

I'm tired, so, I'll leave it you to enjoy^^

By the way, if it isn't obvious, some of these introduction scenes to some of the chapters are flashbacks. If I use these, it's either to help you figure out that a lot more is going on here than you'd have thought, or a I want you to know what life was like for character's before this story began... usually a long time before it began. Also, I need an updated picture of Noir now...

* * *

"So… why exactly do you have to do this?"

"Hehehe, there are several reasons why this will be done. Orders, my own aspirations… entertainment."

"Nothing good can come of this… You realize that if this occurs just as you say… you will…"

"Ha! That is no concern of mine."

"But it is your life!"

"HeheheHAHAHA! My life is but a means to further the ambition of others. I've come to accept that, and through this realization, I have gained clarity… I have gained freedom. I am more than the others will ever be."

"And you would just throw away this 'freedom?' WHY?!"

"You've never met 'him,' have you, Env?"

"Him?"

"HeheheheheheHAHAHAHAHA!"

--

The staff twirled in Abel's hand, humming as it went. He swung, jabbed, and smashed his weapon all across the corridor trying to strike Number One.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Number cackled.

"You still haven't hit me yet, either!" Abel retorted.

Number One was fast, dodging ever attack easily, "We can change that if you'd prefer!"

Abel pulled back a bit before thrusting out with a fast and powerful jab of his staff, but Number One ducked under the attack.

"What?!" Abel gasped.

Number One dropped onto his hands, twisting his body as he hoisted himself upside-down while pulling his legs into his chest, before he shot his legs out, spinning on the palms of his hands as his spinning kick connected with Abel head and sent the Lombax flying back.

"Too easy!" Number One laughed as he used his hands to hop up and land on his feet.

Abel hit the ground and rolled a bit before Eklehs caught him, "Abel, are you alright?"

Abel sat up and rubbed his head, "I'm fine, now let me up!"

Purpure looked back at Abel, "I don't want you two fighting…" he turned his head to look at Number One, "This is foolish, nobody needs to get hurt. Now, please, cease this at once and come with us!"

Number One cocked his head and licked his bottom lip, "And if I don't?"

Eklehs stood up as Vert stood next Purpure. He joined the two of them as all three readied their weapons.

"It is apparent that you have gotten out of hand. Your behavior is unacceptable and I ensure that Noir properly punishes you!" Purpure said with very cold tone.

"You can still back down and make things easier on yourself!" Eklehs yelled.

"There are much better solutions to the problem at hand than this, no?" Vert asked.

Number One started laughing, "Do you really think you can intimidate me with pathetic threats or sweet-talk me into submission? Fools…" Number said as he readied himself.

Purpure sighed, "Very well. Brothers, we stun him, minimal damage!"

The three rushed forward without hesitation as Number One smirked.

--

Weiss flew back and hit the wall as Ratchet landed on his feet, roaring at the top of his lungs.

Blanc and Noir took a step back, "What in name of Bogon has gotten into this one?! How was he able to hit Weiss with such force?" Blanc yelled.

"I'm not sure, though it appears he's gained an unusual amount of muscle mass in such a short time," Noir replied, "I'm wondering if he's been exposed to-"

Both of them had to dodge out of the way as Ratchet lunged at them.

Blanc growled, "Exposed to what?!"

Ratchet's breathing became heavier as he dropped onto one knee, a hand clutching his chest.

Weiss managed to get to feet with annoyed groan, "Ze strength, anger, and apparent strain on his body…"

"Upper Syndrome," Noir groaned, "Somehow, the fool got his hands on the Caine and Abel's nanotech."

"How should we approach this?" Blanc asked.

"Euthanize the pest!" Noir.

--

"HeeheeheeHAHAHAHA!" Number One laughed as he dodged each attack, backing further and further down the corridor.

Eklehs growled, "I thought this one didn't have any nanotech!"

Purpure jabbed forward, "He doesn't, he's just calm enough to read our movements!"

"We need a decisive blow, no?" Vert asked as he slashed down.

Number One leapt back away from the three, "I know you can do better than that! All that advanced technology to use and you resort to simple weapons. How sa-

SMACK!

Number One slammed against the wall, an utterly dazed look on his face.

Vert stood just behind where Number One had been standing, "Teleportation is useful, no?"

Number One groaned and raised his hand a bit, "You… forgot to say… 'guess who?'," before letting his hand slump back to the ground.

Purpure and Eklehs caught up to their brother with Abel reaching them soon after.

"Good job, bro!" Eklehs said with a hearty slap on his brother's back.

"Well played, Vert," Purpure commented.

"How did you do that?!" Abel asked, awestruck.

"It's like a magic trick, little guy," Eklehs said with a chuckle, "keep em' looking at one hand while you do the real trick with the other."

Abel had a puzzled look on his face.

Purpure sighed, "The Vert that Number One was paying attention to was a fake. While you two were fighting, Vert had already left a digital copy of himself here to fight alongside while he teleported himself a ways off so that he could come from behind and stun Number One while he was focused on getting away from us."

Abel's had an odd look on his face, "Huh."

Vert grabbed Number One by the right arm and held him up, "We should take him to Noir, no?"

A chuckle came from Number One "You could try…"

Everyone was too shocked that Number One was still conscious to notice with a small, round object fell from his hand and hit the ground.

BOOM!

White light filled the corridor and blinded everyone as Noir latched on Vert and brought him down the ground.

Vert's helmet allowed his eyes to adjust, but only fast enough to see Number One grinning like a mad man and looking him dead in the eyes. "Not…. Blinded?"

"That's not all these eyes are good for!" Number One laughed as his eyes shot open.

Almost immediately, Vert screamed in agony.

--

It was almost as if Ratchet were flying. Despite his condition, he was successfully dodging each attack that was thrown at him. He finally landed on the ground near the doorway and skid back a bit.

"This is getting annoying… fast," Blanc said.

"I agree viz Blanc," Weiss commented.

Noir took a step forward and Ratchet lunged at him, only to be stopped in mid-air with Noir's arm outstretched before him, only mere millimeters away from his neck. "You have become a far bigger problem than I anticipated. I'm afraid I'll just have to- What?!"

Ratchet was fighting the pseudo-grip Noir had on his body, his muscles visibly stretching their limits to move.

A spark shot from Noir's arm and eyes went wide as his hold on Ratchet shattered, the Lombax grabbing his arm and launching himself forward with the leverage he had, sending a tightly clenched fist hurdling at Noir's head.

SMASH!

Blood flew from Ratchet's hand as Noir was thrown back, his helmet flying off.

There was an audible gasp from Weiss and Blanc

Ratchet landed on his feet, but immediately fell on one knee, "Care to… try again?!"

Noir groaned as he began to lift himself up.

Blanc and Weiss could only watch in horror at what they had just seen.

Noir finally stood up completely, his back turned to Ratchet.

Ratchet's eyes slowly lost their furious gaze and became wide. He could just see the tips long, pointed ears, covered in a very pale, yellow fur over Noir's collar armor.

Golden, blood-shot eyes narrowed as Noir turned and glared at Ratchet. A grin slowly formed on his face as some of what little color was left drained from Ratchet's.

Ratchet stared, "No… way…"


	44. Reveal

Kay, I said to hell with waiting to post this. Yay, me!

* * *

"Heeheehahaha! You're it, Abel!" Caine yelled as he ran away.

"NO, I'M NOT! YOU DIDN'T EVEN TOUCH ME!" Abel cried out.

Caine stopped dead in his tracks and glared at his brother, "YES, I DID!"

"NO, YOU DIDN'T!"

"YES, I DID!"

Abel became furious, "NO, YOU DIDN'T, YOU BIG IDIOT!"

Caine's eyes went wide at that, the little Lombax going red in the face from anger at the insult, "I'M NOT AN IDIOT, YOU'RE THE IDIOT!"

Soon, the brother's were on each other, pummeling one another with their fists. Both of them screamed at each other to give up the fight.

"ENOUGH!"

The little Lombaxes soon went wide-eyed as they were torn apart from each other and held up in the air by the scruff of their necks, both receiving a stern glare from their Lombax babysitter. His face was without any scars or darkening around his bright red eyes.

"Both of you cut it out this instant!" Number One growled at them, making both of the little ones wince. "What has gotten into you?!"

Both Abel and Caine glanced at each other before erupting into reasons why they were right and the other was wrong and shaking their fists at eachother, despite Number One's hold on their necks, causing him to roll his eyes.

"QUIET, BOTH OF YOU!" Number One shouted, immediately silencing the quarrel.

However, their bickering was soon replaced with watering eyes and sobbing that soon erupted into full-blown howling from both Abel and Caine.

Number One sighed before setting both of the brothers down. He sat down between them before pulling them both in to embrace them, quieting their cries a bit.

"Shhh, shhh, enough of that," Number One said in a soothing tone, "… there's no need to cry like that."

The crying soon became sniffling, until finally Abel looked up Number One's face, "Are you mad at us?"

Number One erupted into laughter, "No, no. I could never be angry with either of you. I only mean to reinforce that what you did was wrong. If you can learn from this, then it never need happen again."

Caine had his face buried in Number One's robe until finally looking up, "Number One? Why does Master Noir and Master Nero make you watch after us all the time?"

Number looked up a bit to think, before looking back down at the red-eyed twin, "I would have to guess that it's because both Noir and Nero trust me far more than most. In fact, I'd say that we three are some of the most important people in their lives."

Abel and Caine looked at each other and then back at Number One, before speaking in unison, "Really?"

Number One chuckled, "Yes, really. You see, there are a lot of things that are important to Noir and Nero. They are very close, both as brothers and colleagues. They love you both like sons and they cherish you're growth in many regards. I and my brother, Alpha, are similar in this, though, to be honest, I think they care about you two more," Number One took note of the look he got from the brothers, "… but that is perfectly fine. You will always come first, that is how it should be."

Abel thought about what was said for a moment and then asked, "So then, what makes you and Alpha like us?"

Number One smiled, "Ah, well. It's not that we are gifted like you or Caine, it's that we help keep everything running, at least for Noir and Nero. We act as a proxy for them, helping them manage their tasks or outright do it for them if they need us to," Number One giggled, "just between us, if I put on Noir's armor, or Alpha put on Nero's, I bet no one would know the difference!"

Both Abel and Caine erupted into a giggle fit at that remark.

Number One laughed along with them for a moment, before continuing, "Of course, they have shown how important we are in several regards, however, one way stands out among them. You see, like the two of you, my brother and I were each given something special, something that sets us apart from many others on this ship…"

Caine and Abel's eyes were now as big as dinner plates, "What is it?! What is it?!" both begging to know the answer.

Number One hugged them both a little tighter, "You might not think much of it, but it's something I hope you both can cherish about yourselves someday too," Number One said, before looking up into the distance, "You see, we both were given… names."

--

Noir stood between his siblings, smirking at Ratchet.

His face jutted out like any feline. He had lines under his eyes that could either be from age or stress. Above his eyes, his fur turned darker to look like eyebrows, much like Ratchet's. His cheeks had stripes that matched the color of his brows, but they were odd as they were not a complete streak of color, but rather they were broken up into smaller bits of that odd, pale-brown color, almost like shattered glass. These markings found there way up his ears as well.

His ears… they certainly explained the design of his helmet. These things were long and jutted out of his head and went straight back. There were five stripes to each ear, each getting smaller the further up the ear that they were positioned.

"Something wrong, Lombax?" Noir asked with a grin, his sharp teeth clearly visible.

Ratchet fell onto his other knee, almost speechless, "You… you're a… Lombax?!"

Noir and his brethren erupted into laughter.

Ratchet narrowed his eyes, "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!"

Blanc stopped laughing and cocked her head, "Dear boy, how could you confuse us with your lot? Our stature compared to yours should have shot down that possibility!"

"Now, now, Blanc. You shouldn't lead ze boy on like zis," Weiss chimed in.

Noir chuckled a final time, "What Blanc said is true, Ratchet…" he began to walk towards Ratchet, "We are not Lombaxes… however," his blade reappeared in his hand, "… our designs are based on them."

Ratchet backed away, "D… designs?"

Weiss cackled, "Ze Lombaxes decided to play God, and so vee came into existence!"

Ratchet's eye got wider, "… what?"

Noir smirked, "But none of that matters now. You've put yourself in a dire situation by taking that nanotech for yourself."

Ratchet backed away more, "But, I…"

Noir lifted his weapon high into the air, "How fitting that I send another Progenitor to meet HIS maker!" he said as swung downward.

"WAIT!"

--

Purpure could barely see, "VERT! WHAT HAPPENED!"

There was only Number Ones laughter.

"DAMNIT, NUMBER ONE! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Eklehs screamed.

Visibility slowly returned, revealing Number One standing over Vert with one foot pressed on his head.

"Nothing much, just a simple magic trick…" he cocked his head and licked his lower lip, "Would you like a show?"

"ENOUGH! EKLEHS, WE ELIMINATE HIM, NOW!" Purpure roared.

Number One smirked.

Without hesitation, both Purpure and Eklehs flew at the Lombax, weapons aimed for vital organs.

Number One dodged the attacks, twisting his body in a sickening manner to avoid each of their simultaneous attacks.

The brothers brought both of their weapons up high and slammed them into the ground as Number One leapt back in just the nick of time.

"Enough of this, I have to be going now!" Number One said took a bow, "Gentlemen," he said before turning a darting off in the opposite direction.

Purpure and Eklehs chased after as Abel kneeled down beside Vert, his eyes watering.

"Vert? Master Vert?" he shook Vert's arm a bit, "Please… answer me! SAY SOMETHING!"

Vert's hand twitched, "A… Abel?"

Abel brighted up, "Oh, thank God! Are you okay?!"

Vert coughed, "Had… better days… no?"

Abel laughed a bit, "You just rest, I'll be back with help," Abel said as he began to stand.

"Abel, wait!" Vert said.

Abel stopped, a bit shocked to not hear Vert say something that wasn't in the form of a question, "Y… yes?"

"You're friend's name… is Ratchet… no?" Vert asked before coughing.

Abel kneeled down again, "Yes… but, why do you ask?"

Vert coughed again, "Number One… he did something… with those eyes of his… I saw… horrible things… I saw a Lombax… that he called… Ratchet…"

"Yes?" Abel asked with wide eyes.

"He… hurt him… terribly," Vert said.

"I know about the nanotech, Vert. All of us do," Abel said with a sigh.

"NO!" Vert coughed, "He hurt him… mentally… deceived him…"

"What? How?!" Abel didn't know what to make of this.

Vert looked directly into Abel's eyes, "Somehow… he figured out how tap into our dreams… hack into the neural network that you, Caine, and the rest of us use. He found Ratchet months ago…"

Abel blinked, "Months ago? I don't understa-" Abel fell backwards a bit, his eyes as big as dinner plates, "No way…"

"This Ratchet… he thinks brother Nero attacked him and did horrible things to him… It was an illusion… a game…" Vert finally said, before coughing again.

"But… how could… that makes no sense! How, why would Number One do something like that?! WHAT DOES HE GAIN FROM DOING THAT!" Abel screamed, furious.

"I… I'm unsure," Vert said weakly.

Abel put his hands over his face, "What should I do?!"

Vert looked up a bit, "Simple… find Number One… make him talk, no?"

Abel slowly let he hands fall from his head and glared forward into the corridor before him. His eyes narrowed as he rose up.

--

"WAIT!"

The blade was just inches away from Ratchet's head, "WHAT IS IT, 411?!" Noir roared.

411 had entered the room just in time to see Noir prepare to bring his blade down on Ratchet. Despite thinking fast enough to stop Noir, he was now at a loss for words. Seeing Noir without his helmet was something that did not happen.

"WELL?!" Noir growled, angling the blade at 411.

411 took a step back, "I… I… I came to tell you… i-it's Number One… h-he…"

Blanc stepped forward a bit, now all eyes were on 411, "Yes?"

411 tried to straighten up a bit, "Number One… he forced Number 47 to give Ratchet the nanotech used for Abel and Caine."

Ratchet let out a surprised cough, "What?! But, but, I thought…"

Noir glared at Ratchet, "You thought what?"

Ratchet looked up Noir, "I… I had thought I overheard you… asking that doctor if he had given me… the nanotech. I heard… you say how I would feel this way. The pain… fatigue… everything…"

Noir rolled his eyes, "And why, exactly, would I do such a thing? And if I did, why would I go about listing off everything that would happen to you? Do you even realize what is happening to you?"

Ratchet slumped down, rubbing his head with one hand and his chest with the other, "I… need to lie down…"

"You little twit! You come in here and attack ME and my brethren on MY ship?! You dare swing a fist at me and force my helmet off?! You dare do this with your only reason being a shaky story about how you supposedly heard me talk about giving you this nanotech?!" Noir rubbed his temples in annoyance, pacing back and forth.

Ratchet, "I…"

Noir stopped, looking back at Ratchet over his shoulder, "I warned you… I told you what would happen if you dared to get in my way! What can you possibly do to make amends for this?!"

Ratchet began to stand, "I-"

SLAM!

Ratchet was now pinned to the ground with Noir's hand tightly gripped to his neck.

Noir's tone became cold with a growl ever present in each word he spoke, "Dear boy, I am the Master of all you see on this ship… I do not tolerate such behavior from any of my servants… if you were one of them, I would have Caine skin you alive in front of the rest, adult or youngling, so that I could make an example out of you."

Ratchet could only struggle under Noir's grip, choking from the tightness of it.

"However… 411 here has bought you a grace period," Noir suddenly let go of Ratchet, who immediately rolled to the side, hacking and coughing with hand on his throat. "Now… 411."

411 audibly gulped.

Noir turned his gaze at the Lombax as he rose up "Where is Number One?"

--

Purpure and Eklehs stood at a four-way intersection.

"Damn, he's fast. Which way do you think he went?" Eklehs asked.

"Three choices… Two of us… I find it unlikely he would just run straight ahead. You go right, I'll go left, but be careful. I don't know what he did to Vert, but he could try it with either of us as well," Purpure warned.

"Got it…" Eklehs replied.

At that, they both ran in opposite directions.

After a few minutes, Number One chuckled before dropping down into the center of the intersection, "Fools… always check up above when you're on the hunt…"

Number One briskly strolled down the corridor neither of his pursuers had gone down, whistling to himself. He stopped next to a doorway, licked his lips, and tapped the control pad. The door opened to reveal a group of younglings being lectured by an adult, all of them immediately taking notice of Number One.

The Lombax teaching the younglings, number 123, stood up to greet his superior, "Yes, Number One, how may I be of assistance?"

Number One looked around, noting that he stood in the only exit to the room. He grinned.


	45. Shatter

Abel walked down the corridor slowly, his weapon down at his side. Purpure and Eklehs had ran after Number One, but Abel had not been able to keep track of them before they disappeared. He sighed.

"Where did you go, you monster?" he asked.

It was a ways down the corridor before he heard crying. Abel brought his staff up into a defensive stance and slowly closed the gap between himself and the sound.

He finally reached a doorway, "One of the classrooms… not good."

He tapped the control panel and readied himself.

The door opened and several little eyes quickly turned their attention to their newest visitor.

"Oh, Abel, how good you of to join us!" Number One said cheerfully, the smallest of the younglings sat in his lap, "You must be just as eager to learn as these younglings. I have much I could teach you!"

Abel grew very nervous. Considering it was Number One, Abel figured he wouldn't hesitate to kill any of them. He lowered his weapon.

"Please… please, let them go," Abel pleaded.

Number One cocked his head, with a curious expression, "Now… why would I do that? These little ones still have much to learn today!"

Abel took a step forward, "Please, just let them come with me and I'll leave you be. I won't tell Noir or anyone else where you are!"

Number One laughed, "Oh, but that simply wouldn't do, Abel. After, leverage is only good to me if it's in my possession. Perhaps you can make a better offer?"

Abel was confused for a moment, but then it dawned on him, "Me?"

Number One grinned, "You make a far better bargaining chip than these children," he looked down at the youngling in his lap, who was looking up at him, oblivious like the rest to the severity of the conversation at hand, "Noir wouldn't dare let you get hurt… He acts cold, but be it some form of compassion for his, and Nero's, prized possessions, or perhaps because he does not want to see Nero's wrath for letting you get hurt. Yes, you will do nicely. Now, drop it!"

Abel did as commanded.

"Now, turn around…"

Abel did so.

"Now, you may find this next command odd… remove your clothing…"

Abel's head snapped back at Number One, a confused look in his eyes.

"I know for a fact you carry far more weaponry on you than you let on. If you're naked, you can't hide as much," Number One said with a chuckle, "Then, once you've done that, lay on the ground, cross your hands behind your back and cross your ankles, left over the right."

Abel narrowed his eyes at Number One, but quickly turned around when he saw a glint of light from the knife Number One brandished for a mere moment. He did as he was told, all the while the children's attention was kept by Number One lessons on anatomy.

Number One looked up and smirked to see Abel was done and on the ground, "Good, now, little ones, I want you all to go rest in the nap room and wait for your regular instructor to return from the errand I sent him on, understood?"

They all listened, paying no attention to Abel as they ran to their room and lay down.

Abel tried to capitalize on the children being away from Number One, planting his arms on the ground to hoist himself up quickly, but as soon as he began lifting himself up he was brought back down by Number One's boot and a knife was placed on his neck.

"Now, now, now. That won't do…" Number One said in a cold tone, "… I can't have you misbehaving with these children trying to gain much required sleep. Besides…" he kneeled down and put his mouth right beside Abel's right ear, "… If I need to better show you helpless you are at the moment, this entire area will become an inferno with but the flip of a switch!" Number One used his other hand to let Abel see the detonator he had.

Abel tried to struggle, "They're just children! There is no need for this! Why are you doing this?!"

Number One got a puzzled look on his face, "Why? Hmmm, lots of reasons I suppose. Some of them personal… some not. You see, my boy, I've been around for a long, long time…"

He placed his left knee on Abel's left elbow as he ran his knife gently over Abel's back. His knife hand eventually settled on Abel's right forearm.

"I've seen my fair share of pain…" his returned the detonator to his robe and his free hand went to Abel's right elbow.

CRACK!

Abel tried to scream, but he mouth almost immediately covered.

"… and suffering. Now, can I trust that I've crippled you enough for the time being that you won't try anything foolish?"

Abel coughed in pain, "Damn… you!"

Number One rolled his eyes, "Fine…" He took hold of Abel's left index finger.

SNAP!

Again, Abel's screaming was muffled.

Number One let go of Abel's hand, "I hope that was enough for you. I have much more important thing to do with my time."

Tears were streaming down Abel's face, "Wha… what h-happened to you… Mathial?"

Number One smirked, before grabbing Abel by the hair and making him stand up, "Simple…" he held the knife up to Abel's throat again and they both began to walk forward and out of the room, "… I gained clarity."

--

Noir paced back and forth, "So what you are telling me is that my highest ranking officer and most trusted servant has, in fact, gone rogue and is now fighting against my brothers?"

411 blinked, "Y- yes, Master Noir."

Weiss tapped the chin of his helmet, "Zees ees very problematic, Noir. It would reflect very poorly on you eef zees ees true. Zough, I cannot imagine Number Von doing something as foolish as to fight ageenst von of us, let alone sree. Purpure, Eklehs, and Vert are like a single entity when zey fight togezer. Perfect harmony und strategy."

Noir looked at his undamaged gauntlet, tapping it. A screen appeared, showing a schematic of the ship, currently focused on two blips that were traveling down the corridors quickly.

Noir narrowed eyes for a split second, "It seems that Number One and Abel are on the move…" He turned his attention to 411 again, "It will be a shame if what you say is true, but, for your sake, you had best not be lying…"

411 cowered a bit, "I… I would n-never lie to you, Master Noir."

Ratchet coughed, "411… help me up…"

Noir's attention shot to Ratchet, "And what do you think you are doing?"

"I'm… gonna help… Abel!" Ratchet said as 411 took hold of him.

Blanc chuckled, "In your condition?! Dear boy, you'll be dead if you exert yourself any further."

Noir glanced at his sister, "No need to concern yourself," he turned his attention back to Ratchet, "If you want to come along, that's fine. If Number One is truly rogue, I'll have reason to believe you're actions were truly out of self-defense, though you will pay for attacking me none-the-less. Of course, if you do happen to die along the way, you'll be out of my hair. Either way, it works out for me!"

Ratchet glared, "Fine… let's just go!"

Noir smirked as he put on his helmet, "Well said."

--

Abel winced in pain.

"Oh, shh, shh, shh, it'll all be over soon!" Number One said with a synthetic soothing tone as he led Abel down the corridor, "All you have to do is act as a nice little meat-shield until we get to the hangar bay."

Abel groaned, "You think that's gonna be enough? Just because you get off this ship, doesn't mean you'll be free!"

Number One put pressure on Abel's injured elbow, eliciting a scream, "Hehehe, you think that I just plan to walk right out of here, do you? Oh, no. You could say I don't really have a plan… Plans don't work out very much. No, not much at all. See, you could have tried to attack me despite the children, and then we'd all be dead. I didn't have a plan either way, I just let whatever happens, happen."

Abel winced, "Then what do you- ow! – hope to gain?"

"I'm a man of simple tastes. I like things that can go 'BOOM!' and all at a reasonable low cost. I like seeing those around me act like they truly are… like you, Abel!" Number One said with a grin.

Abel was confused.

"Oh sure, I like it better when people behave like the monsters they really are, but there are a few out there who are truly noble. Who will gladly be ripped to pieces if it meant saving someone. It's people like that that I love to break!" he said with a laugh.

Abel gawked, "You just… wanted to see Ratchet go insane… "

"DING, DING, DING! WE HAVE A WINNER!" Number One howled.

"WHAT DID HE EVER DO YOU TO YOU?!" Abel cried.

"Oh, nothing. I will be the first to admit that I never did anything out of personal vendetta or any such motive. No, I just did to see if I could make a pan-galactic hero go crazy. See if I could make him turn on his friends. Unfortunately, it seems that I was unsuccessful in getting the desired results…"

"DAMN RIGHT, YOU DIDN'T!" Abel yelled.

"Oh, but look at the damage I did do! Tell me something, how willing is he to sleep at night? How often does he walk behind everyone else, keeping an eye on those around him. Does he truly trust everyone like he once did? When people are violated, their safe feeling shattered, they don't feel as comfortable putting their full faith, if any, in the hands of others. Ratchet has become fully away that even friends can't save you from the nightmares of the subconscious world. I've shown him that he can't always count on even his closest friends!"

"You're insane…"

Number One laughed, "Perhaps the damage is not as apparent yet, but soon it will be. Tell me, how did he react when he learned you were just a copy? When he learned that you're Master was the stuff of HIS nightmares? Don't you get it, Abel?"

Abel blinked, "… What?"

Number One licked his lips, "He doesn't have full faith in his friends… he's lost his trust in you!"

Some of the color drained in Abel's face, "… He would never… never distrust any of us! You're just a monster! A cruel old fool who just wants everyone to slip as far into madness as you yourself haAGHH!"

Number One loosened his grip again as they stood before the door to the hangar, much to Abel's relief, "People are monsters. They are cruel, they are vile. When the chips are down, they will lash out at the throats of those closest to them. They will bring about their own end in an effort to be the only one left alive." He thought for a moment, "Hehehe, madness Abel… is something we are all not far from. I nearly brought your friend Ratchet over the edge of it. As you can see, your brother has succumbed to it. All you have to do is now how to coax it out… It's like gravity, all it takes a little… PUSH!"

The door before them flew open. There, towering over both Abel and Number One, stood a figure in black armor, covered in blue markings, and behind him stood an even larger figure in golden armor, surrounded by a faint aura of golden light.

The figures saw them, but it was one in black who spoke, "Abel?!"

Abel went weak in the knees, the sight before him a godsend in many ways, "Ma- Master… Nero!"

Number One's eyed widened a bit, "… shit."

* * *

I'm hoping you guys don't hate me for doing that to Abel, but hey, Number One's not a nice guy :D


	46. Sable

I am so sorry that it has taken this long to do any kind of update to the story D:

Not sure how much I like this chapter, but meh.

* * *

Beep… beep… beep…

A figure in the darkness stirred.

There was a room, filled with monitors and terminals, with each terminal being manned by a Lombax. In the center of the room stood a large chamber, its contents hidden by thick plating.

A synthetic voice came to life from the computer terminals, "Activation sequence engaged. All personnel remain on stand-by."

"What?" one of the lombaxes, who had the number 151 on his head, said in surprise, "Who ordered that?!"

Each of the other lombaxes replied a puzzled expression.

"It isn't time yet! We haven't received any ord-"

PING!

Light filled the darkness of the chamber as the doors opened and fluid spilled out onto the floor, causing the lombaxes around it move back and out of the way.

151 very cautiously stepped around the chamber, nearing its entrance, "H… hello?"

There was no answer.

151 became nervous as he reached the opening, "Can you hear me?"

_I can hear you… _

Each of the lombaxes gasped in shock, surprised to hear the voice inside their minds.

_And it is apparent that you can hear me…_

151 forward to see inside the chamber, a look of awe on his face, "Magnificent… absolutely magnificent!"

_Am I to understand you are in awe of my being? Your words and thoughts tell lead me to believe this._

151 blinked, "Um.. Yes. However, it is much too soon for you to be awake, little one. I-"

_If it were too soon then this conversation would never have occurred. I am awake, because I am expected. I will not be stopped… and you will help me in whatever I need…_

151 became nervous again, "W-what do you need?

_Bring me some clothes…_

--

Nero's eyes narrowed, "What is going on here?!"

Number One looked back and forth before raising his hand as if to say something, "Well, I… hmmm…"

Abel turned his head back to glare at his captor.

Number One licked his lower lip, "Yeah… I got nothin'."

He had only a moment to leap away before Nero lashed out at him, a highly decorated riot-baton forming in both of him hands.

Nero growled, "What have done to him?!"

Number One chuckled, "I just negotiated his cooperation. In return for it, I promised to not break any more bones!"

Nero's eyes narrowed, "I knew you had problems, but that is unforgivable…" he looked back at the golden figure who had accompanied him, "Brother, help Abel for me." His gaze returned to Number One, "As much as it pains me to do this, I'm afraid I can't let a rogue like you roam freely."

The golden figure nodded to Nero as he placed a hand on Abel's shoulder and motioned for him to follow.

"Master, be careful! He hurt Master Vert earlier!" Abel yelled.

"Don't worry about Nero, Abel," said the golden figure, to Abel' surprise.

"Master Deus?" Abel replied.

"Today is not his day to fall."

--

"If you're gonna… act as a crutch, don't… suck at it!" Ratchet yelled, albeit a bit raspy.

411 flinched, "I'm sorry! I'm not accustomed to," he grunted, "lifting heavy objects!"

Ratchet growled, "Are you… calling me FAT?!"

411 whimpered, "NO, I-"

Noir growled, "Enough! The reason he is making note of your weight, Ratchet, is because the substance you have been injected with has likely lead to a notable growth in your muscles. Muscle weighs more than body fat, so do not become so flustered by his comment if you do not even realize why he said that in the first place!"

Ratchet's ears drooped as he grumbled something.

Nero was quick to notice, "What was that?!"

Ratchet looked off to the side, "Oh, nothing."

411 grunted again, "Please.. Tell me we are… almost there…"

Ratchet sighed, "God, you're… a lightweight!" He stopped 411 and stood upright, "I'll walk… on my own!"

"No, you won't," Blanc said before picking a rather shocked Ratchet up by the scruff of his neck and setting him down on her shoulder armor.

Ratchet sighed in relief, "Don't… scare me like that!"

Blanc chuckled, "Don't get too used to it. As soon as we find Abel and Number One, the joy ride is over."

Ratchet suddenly noticed how close his head was to the ceiling, "Yeah… the sooner the better."

--

"There, that should be better now," Deus said.

Abel blinked in amazement; his arm and finger were back to normal, "Wow…"

"You are going to ask for clothing," Deus stated.

Abel blinked again, "Umm, yes, if you don't mind."

"Of course," Deus replied, snapping his fingers.

A flash of golden light covered Abel and once it dissipated, he found himself clothed in a black body-suit. Its sleeves cut off just above his knees and its legs cut off above his knee-caps.

"How do you do that?" Abel said, astonished.

Deus glanced to the side a bit, "The universe works in seemingly mysterious ways, but that is irrelevant at this point in time. Get down."

Abel wasn't sure what he meant at first, but quickly crouched low as a large chunk of metal flew right over his head, barely missing his ears, "Holy crap!"

Both Abel and Deus looked up in the direction that metal came from.

Nero had effectively trashed the corridor that himself and Number One were fighting in. Despite the fact that his choice of weaponry was blunt instruments, he had no trouble ripping through thick metal.

"I don't believe I ever went toe to toe with you, Nero," Number One said with a laugh, "You are far more entertaining than those twits you call brothers!"

"You can't distract me with such snide remarks!" Nero growled, taking another swing at Number One, "Despite my anger, I will not be blinded!"

Number One jumped back and landed a few yards away, "You know, none of you really put much effort into hitting me."

As Number One began to laugh at his own comment, the area around him grew dark. He turned to see Deus towering over him.

"There is little possibility for you to dodge me," Deus commented.

Number One took a step back, "Fffff-"

--

"We're almost there," Noir said.

"Good, I want to teach that… asshole a lesson!" Ratchet yelled weakly.

"I will not have that, if Number One has gone rogue, I will deal with it personally. You will not interfere!" Noir growled.

"Then… why am I coming along?!" Ratchet yelled.

"You were the one who insisted on coming," 411 groaned.

Ratchet fumed, "Shut up, I-"

CRASH!

The group only caught a glimpse of Number One crashing through a doorway ahead of them before flying through a second doorway across from it and into the hangar bay.

"My word!" Blanc said.

"Zat vas quite ze site!" Weiss further commented.

Noir growled, "Quickly, we must end mess!"

They did not hesitate in following Noir as he rushed forward.

--

Number One laid there on the ground, finding it very hard to breath. He slowly tried to get to his feet, but was stopped in a kneeling position when pain shot through his right arm and torso.

He clutched his chest with his left arm, "Bastard… broke a few ribs," he coughed, "and my damn arm."

He started chuckling to himself before realizing that half his sight was a hazy red. He put his left hand on his head and then looked at it.

"Damn…" he said with a smirk.

He had suffered quite the deep cut to his head, stretching from his left eyebrow to almost the top of his head. He wasn't even sure how it had happened.

"NUMBER ONE!!!" A booming voice roared from behind Number One that he knew all too well.

He turned in a nonchalant manner to Noir, "Yeeeees, my Master?"

"What is the meaning of this?!" Noir barked as he closed the distance between himself and his subordinate, followed closely by his group and joined by Nero, Deus, and Abel.

"Oh… you know," Number One coughed, "a little fun… here and there."

Blanc glanced at Ratchet before grabbing him again and lifting him up, "Time to get down, little one. The adults have work to do."

"Ha… ha…" Ratchet groaned as he planted on his feet, "Lady… I've got news for you… I-"

"RATCHET!"

Before Ratchet could think, he was tackled by Abel and knocked to the ground, "What are you doing here?! You should be in bed resting! You look terrible!"

Ratchet was now very dizzy, "It's… good to see… you too… Abel…"

Noir drove his sword into the ground before stepping before Number One with is arms crossed, "Am I to understand that you fought with my brothers? That you forced Number 47 to inject that rat over there with my nanotech?"

"He also severely hurt Master Vert and was going to use me as a hostage!" Abel barked.

Number One glanced at Abel, "Loose lips sink ships…"

"ENOUGH!" Noir roared, "You, Number One…. Mathiel…. You were one of my most prized assets! I have given you everything, EVERYTHING! And now you repay me by acting way, by not even mustering a possible excuse for this behavior. Give me a reason!"

Number One thought for a moment before smirking, "I've said this before. I'm not the kind of guy to have a plan… I just like to drive people to a breaking point, to lash out at whatever they can."

Nero stepped forward, "Mathiel, you're only making things worse for yourself."

Number One howled with laughter before speaking, "Actually," he pulled a device from his robe, "I'm making it pretty bad for all of us!"

Click!

"Attention all personnel! The self-destruct sequence has been initiated! Evacuate immediately!"

"Oh, come on! Can this ship suck any worse?!" Ratchet groaned, "Why the hell do you have a self-destruct button on this damn ship?!"

Noir ignored Ratchet, "Blanc and Weiss… Head to the main terminal and deal with this."

"Oh, don't want us to help you deal with the problem?" Blanc said.

Nero turned to Blanc, "No, but if someone doesn't deactivate the self-destruct sequence, our research will be set back centuries. On top of that, we would risk losing lives and manpower."

Blanc sighed, "Fine."

Abel propped Ratchet up, "We need to get you someplace safe."

Ratchet groaned, "I'm fine, just help me up."

"No, you aren't!" Abel growled, "I'll help you up, but you're coming with me!"

Blanc walked past Abel and Ratchet without a glance before stopping beside Deus, "Hello, Big Brother. It's been ages, hasn't it?"

"Time is of little consequence to me. Our parting long ago has come and gone just like any other moment," Deus replied with little emotion.

Blanc chuckled before walking away, "Same old brother. Just because your perceptions are far less linear than ours, doesn't mean you have to derail a simple greeting."

Weiss chose not to follow his sister for a moment to stop beside Deus, "Are you going to help Noir and Nero, Brother?"

"I will simply observe. I am not meant to interfere," Deus replied.

Weiss walked away as well, "Oh vell."

Abel watched as Weiss walked away, before looking back at Noir, Nero, and Number One, "How did things get this bad?"

Ratchet let out a grunt as Abel hoisted him up and they began to leave the hangar bay, "Abel…"

"Yes, Ratchet?" Abel asked.

"That was him… wasn't it?" Ratchet said with a cold tone.

"Who?" Abel asked, puzzled.

Ratchet coughed, "Nero…"

Abel stopped, catching Ratchet by surprise, "Ratchet, I have to tell you something important."

--

_Thank you, gentlemen… these clothes fit well._

151 nodded, "They were made for you, but please, you must listen to us, we-"

_The hangar bay, what is the fastest way to it?_

151 was puzzled, "The hangar bay? You can reach it by taking the elevator down that corridor," he said, motioning towards a nearby door. "Why do you need to go there?"

_I am to deal with a problem that has arisen._

"I'm afraid I can't let you go out there!" 151 said, trying to be firm, "We don't know if your body or mind is stable!"

_I can assure you, they are… Do not try to stop me._

151 began to sweat, "I must!"

151 immediately hit a button on the terminal, causing all the doors in the room to lock.

A purple eye narrowed.

_I did not warn you to refrain from trying to stop me because I would hurt you if you did…_

The sealed door that led to the corridor began to buckle under an unseen force.

_I did it because you simply could not._

SLAM!

The door was ripped from the entryway and throw aside. All of the lombaxes in the room, including 151, looked on horror at the being before them.

In front of the destroyed doorway stood a small lombax child. His fur was pitch black and his stripes were snow white. Half of his face was hidden behind long white hair with black streaks running down it in various places. What could be seen of his face was emotionless; his visible eye was pitch black, highlighted by an eerie purple iris.

The child began to cough, before vomiting a liquid very similar to the fluid in his chamber.

"Don't you see, you are not ready to be roaming around freely!" 151 cried.

The child cleared his throat, "I… simply made it so I could speak normally. That substance made it impossible to talk through normal means."

The child turned and began to walk towards the elevator.

"X-3, wait!" 151 pleaded.

The child stopped, "I don't care for that name…"

He began to look over himself, before lifting his right arm up in the air. He observed it in detail, taking note of the fur. He finally dropped his hand back down his side and glanced back at 151.

"Call me… Sable."


	47. Forever Smiling

Holy shit, another update and it hasn't even been six months yet. I must be losing my mind. jk

I do want to update more often. I just had the good fortune this time of having a spot of free time to this.

As I've said before, I will finish this story and we are not close to the end yet. I have lot more planned for it so please stick with it like you have been doing. I love you all for it^^

Also, please leave a review or comment regarding this chapter or the last so I can see who's still with me xD

* * *

"Number One, as much as it pains me to do this…" Noir said with a cold tone.

Number One grinned.

Noir brought his blade inches away from Number One's face, "For the act of treason, I sentence you to death!"

Number One chuckled, "You could try…"

Noir brought his blade up high into the air and, without hesitation, swung down hard.

--

Beep, beep, beep… Ping!

Several gears came to life as a figure in the darkness was awoken. It merely hung from the chains that suspended it in the air.

A red light began to blink as a conveyer belt sprang to life and began to the creature to a new destination.

Above the red light flashed the words "Destination: Hangar Bay."

--

Abel was having difficulty supporting Ratchet, "You need to lose weight."

"There isn't… an ounce of fat on… me!" Ratchet retorted.

Abel giggled, "Doesn't feel that way to me!"

Ratchet groaned, but then stopped, "Abel, wait."

Abel stopped, confused.

Ratchet turned a bit to see behind them, "If they are trying to stop Number One before he can do anymore harm, why isn't that golden guy helping them out? He's just watching."

Abel looked back and saw what Ratchet was talking about, "Oh. Well, um… Master Deus is… different. He's the older brother of Nero, Noir, and all the rest."

"Oh… I get it," Ratchet said with a cold tone, "The head hauncho doesn't like to get his hands dirty, huh?"

Smack!

"Ow! Abel, what the hell?" Ratchet cried, rubbing his head.

"God, you always jump to conclusions!" Abel said in a huff, "Master Deus is very… detached from most things. He sees things very differently than any of us possibly could, he sees the universe in a much grander scale than any of us can possible comprehend."

Ratchet's ears drooped, "I'm… sorry. I didn't mean to strike a nerve."

Abel sighed, "It's alright. I'll just blame it on your current condition," he faced forward again, "Now come on, let's get away from this mess and let them handle it."

Ratchet nodded, "No objections here."

--

Blanc and Weiss reached the control room, greeting the blaring alarm and a countdown indicator on the main monitor.

"How kind, he had given us two minutes," Blanc said with a chuckle.

"Ve only have zirty seconds," Weiss commented.

"Like I said, he was generous," Blanc said.

Weiss tapped his left gauntlet and brought a small screen, "I already have the co-"

Blanc, "Save it."

She stepped up the control panel and looked at the keyboard for a moment. She chuckled a bit before pressing two keys with her left hand and a single key with her right.

The timer read "00:15."

A window appeared on the screen, listing several open programs. Blanc selected the last one, called "Detonation Sequence" and then clicked the "End Task" button.

"Attention all personnel, the self-destruct sequence has been terminated."

Weiss looked around, "Vell, zat was easy."

"Do you get that unshakable feeling that this was just a diversion?" Blanc asked.

Weiss cackled, "I vould be disappointed if it vere not."

--

Nero leapt at Number One, swinging his riot baton at the lombaxes head as soon as he was close enough, but just as each time before it, Number One easily dodged it.

"Noir, is there a reason that I cannot hit him?!" Nero asked, perturbed.

"He's been very busy, it seems," Noir commented, taking another failed swing at Number One in mid-sentence.

A voice came to life through the intercoms, "Attention all personnel, the self-destruct sequence has been terminated."

Number One twitched a bit, "How annoying…"

Nero chuckled as he stood upright, "Ah, some good news," he glanced at Noir, "and here I thought this little reunion was going to end on a sour note."

Noir laughed, "Not on MY ship."

A large monitor nearby came to life, displaying Blanc and Weiss, "Noir, everything is back to normal on this end. However, disarming the detonation sequence was rather easy."

"What is your point?" Noir questioned.

Blanc began to speak, "I thin-"

Number One interrupted, "She means you better be on your guard!"

Noir was taken by surprise when Number One flew at him and knocked him to the ground, "GAH! Insolent little-"

"Don't blink!" Number One said with a laugh, his eyes going wide.

Noir roared in pain.

"GET OFF OF HIM!" Nero roared as he tried to swing at Number One, who leapt away as a small object flew from his hand at Nero.

BANG!

A blinding light engulfed Nero, Number One, and a thrashing Noir.

Number One regained his footing and jumped at Nero, laughing, "Your turn!"

Nero brought his arms up to defend himself, sure that he would end up like Noir.

For a moment, nothing happened. Finally, the light began to fade.

Enough light had faded to reveal Number One floating in mid air, covered in a faint purple glow.

Number One had a perplexed look on his face, "The hell?!"

Deus looked on at the scene, before turning his gaze to the right, "Hmmm."

A small black lombax began to walk forward, his purple eyes glowing bright with his right arm outstretched toward Number One.

Nero glanced over his should to see the small child that had saved, "You?"

Sable stopped next to Nero, and looked up him, "You had marked me as, X-3… but I now prefer the title-"

"Sable," Deus spoke.

Sable glanced over at Deus, pausing for a moment before speaking, "… Strange, how would you know that? Are you like me?"

Number One cleared his throat, trying to get some attention, "Hello! Still floating here! Who the hell is this ki- wait… Unless this is.."

Sable looked back towards Number One, before twitching his hand.

Suddenly, Number One flew back and slammed against a parked spacecraft.

--

SLAM!

A figure in a dark cloak shot up from his resting position, but immediately fell back down after smashing his head into the protective glass of his sleep pod.

He clutched his head in pain, "GAH! Son of a BITCH! What the hell was that noise!"

Another figured stirred in his own pod, before finally yawning, "You.. say something, Env?"

--

Number One tried to get to his feet, but couldn't manage it in the dazed state his was in.

Noir had finally ceased thrashing and was now breathing very hard.

He finally tried to sit up, clutching his faceplate, "… How…. How dare you… use such a… tactic on… ME! You will suffer… agony beyond measure, Mathiel!"

Nero kneeled down and put his hand on Noir shoulder, "What did he do to you?!"

Noir glanced at his brother, "He tried to shatter my mind. He tried to put images in my head. Thoughts, feelings, disturbing things…"

Nero growled, "So then that's probably what happened to Vert… He almost did that to me…"

Sable looked at Nero, "You are fortunate that my abilities have developed this far."

Nero nodded, "Indeed," he looked at Sable, "Sable, was it? Amazing."

Noir groaned, "Why are you so impressed, Nero. We've been slaving over his development for quite some time now."

"I'm just admiring the fruits of our labor," Nero said with an annoyed tone. "Besides, his power… it's far greater than anticipated. At this stage, his psionic powers should only be able to move small, simple objects."

Noir blinked, "You're right," he began to stand up, "It seems there is reason for astonishment."

Sable looked over at Number One, who was on one knee, "Shall I dispose of him?"

"Dispose?" Nero said, slightly bothered by the child's lack of emotion.

Noir laughed, "Yes, Sable! By all means!"

Noir brought his still functioning gauntlet up and tapped on it.

--

Abel set Ratchet down on a bed inside the infirmary, "Comfy?"

"Yeah," Ratchet said with a sigh.

Abel turned toward 47, "No Black-Beta, this time…"

47 gulped, "Y-yes, of course."

Ratchet whimpered as 47 prepped a needle.

Abel rolled his eyes, "Not this again, Ratchet, it won't be that bad, you jus-"

A large monitor on the wall of the infirmary came to life.

Noir stood there, speaking to his audience, "My brethren and my many subordinates, young and old! Today is day to rejoice!"

"What the?" Ratchet said.

The same video feed could be seen on every monitor in the ship. Every lombax had ceased what they were doing to pay close attention to their master's words.

Vert laughed weakly as he rested against the corridor wall, "Very dramatic, no?"

Purpure and Eklehs kneeled beside him.

Eklehs growled, "So that's where the little bastard went…"

"Today, one our greatest achievements has joined us. Behold, the result of much labor, Sable!"

Sounds of awe came from many lombaxes as they saw Sable for the time. His black fur and white stripes being a very notable point of interest.

"My brothers, I promised you a demonstration! I showing of the results of the tireless work that Nero and myself have put forth on this project," Noir stated.

Ratchet, Abel, and 47 all had wide-eyes at the sight of this new lombax.

Ratchet had a hard time processing the idea of black fur and white stripes, "Ummm… I… that's…."

Abel gawked a bit as well, "I don't believe it…"

--

Noir looked down at Sable, "Show us what you can do."

"Fine…" Sable began to walk towards Number One, who was now on his feet.

Number One had a very angry look on his face, "I will not be beaten by a little shit like you!"

"Say that all you like, it won't change anything," Sable said with a lifeless tone.

Number One placed his good arm into his robe, "We'll see about that…"

"You have an erratic mind; very hard to read, but that won't save you," Sable said bluntly as his eyes began to glow again.

Number One grinned. There was a click as he pulled a round object the size of an apple from his robe and threw it at Sable, "Enjoy!"

Sable did not attempt to dodge the object.

"Stupid boy," Number One laughed as he clicked a button he had hidden inside his robe.

BOOM!

Number One laughed like a maniac, "So much for your little project, master! That was my best magic trick yet, I made years of work just DISAPPEA-"

Shik! Shik! Shik!

Number One was silenced by the sudden pain he felt in his torso. He looked down to see three pieces of smoking shrapnel sticking out of his chest and abdomen.

The smoke cleared to show Sable standing there, unharmed, protected by a faint purple barrier. A single, larger piece of shrapnel was floating in front of him.

"You talk to much," Sable stated with a cold tone.

The last piece of shrapnel shot forward like a bullet, leaving Number One only enough time to move so it didn't tear right through his head.

SLICE!

Number fell to the side with a hard thud.

--

Ratchet could only muster a word, "Damn…"

Abel nearly vomited at what he saw.

--

Pained laughter came from Number One. Blood poured from his mouth as he tried to force himself up onto his knees.

"You are faster than I anticipated," Sable stated.

Number One threw himself up onto his knees, his head rolling back as he both laughed histerically and screamed in pain. The shrapnel had hit him perfectly in the corner of his mouth and torn through almost to his ear.

As his roar of pain started to cease, his laughter still remained. He finally turned his gaze back down towards Sable. He glared at the boy through reddened, watery eyes, ignoring everything else.

"You… ittle… astard…" Number One tried to speak, doing his best to move his lips as little as possible.

A light began to flash to the left, signaling that doors on the floor of the hangar bay were about to open.

Number One laughed weakly, "I… haff… a ittle… present-" he winced at the last syllable, "for… you…"

The doors began to open, prompting Sable to step back a bit, as something began to rise up.

"What did you do, Mathiel?!" Noir barked.

Number One didn't answer; he merely looked forward at his former master, Nero, and Sable.

--

Ratchet narrowed, "What a freak…"

Abel looked at Ratchet, "Huh?"

Ratchet, "Look at him… despite all of this… his smiling…"

Abel looked at the monitor, "I can't tell anymore…"

--

As the doors finished opening, a figure began to rise up.

Number One slowly brought his gaze up to the ceiling. He laughed to himself on the inside. He had found a funny side to the pain and injuries.

Now he was always smiling.

* * *

I'm gonna trust that this chapter can be followed easily. I hope so. I'm tired.

Yes, Purpure and Eklehs found their way back to Vert. I had more planned for them regarding these events, but I waited to long to do it so meh.


End file.
